Tenshi no Ryuu: Purezza
by LG65
Summary: X-over of Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu: Purezza & Yakuza 3. A journey of one young man from the Hakujou Private Academy saving his true love and becoming a legendary gangster in Kamurocho. M for language & suggestive themes.
1. Nuit Ètoile a été déclaré manquant

Chapter 1: Nuit Ètoile a été déclaré manquant

There is a legend that is spreading around the red-light district of Tokyo known as Kamurocho. Many have heard of the "Dragon of Dojima", a legendary gangster who once roamed around Kamurocho. However, there is a second legendary gangster. He is one who came from a middle-class family. He is one who had a heart of gold, a mind clear as the night sky and strength that is feared by men. However, he is younger than most yakuza gangsters. This is the legend of the young legendary gangster called "The Angelic Dragon".

This is his story on how one young boy from the Hakujou Private Academy became that young legendary gangster.

It is a typical day at school for a blue-haired boy named Yuuto Ayase. He hears his usual set of possibly useless rumors about anything anime-related from his green-haired best friend, Nobunaga Asakura. Plus, a bunch of nonsense things from the three boys he normally runs into, which are Nagai, Takenami and Ogawa.

Ever since he discovered that his close friend, Haruka Nogizaka, was an anime/manga addict, despite her beauty and richness, he has accepted her and began to open up to her. And the two spend a lot of time together. Whether it is hanging out at a cosplay café in Akihabara, or just watching a bunch of anime, life has been happy and nice for this couple.

But one day, all of a sudden, people in the class began to say, "This is weird... Haruka Nogizaka is usually here."

There were also things like this being said, "If Nogizaka-san is sick, she should be OK by now."

Yuuto was getting concerned. Hearing all these things definitely took a toll on him. He was concerned over Haruka, and is unsure if anything happened to her. Nobunaga asks, "What's wrong, Yuuto?"

"I don't know, Nobunaga." Yuuto replies, "But... I haven't seen Haruka around for 3 days."

"Do you think something happened to her?" Nobunaga asks.

"I don't know..." Then, Yuuto sighs. "I just hope she's OK..."

When Yuuto arrives to the Nogizaka home to see how she is doing, he heard screaming and crying. Yuuto gasped and thought, "What the... What's going on?"

He quickly ran to find where the screaming and the crying came from. "Man... I wish this mansion wasn't so big! I could find things much easier if this place was smaller!" he thought.

He checked from room to room, and the screaming and crying were starting to irritate him. He thought, "Come on! Make it louder so I can find it easier!" It was faint, but irritating enough to annoy Yuuto.

Until finally... In Haruka's room, he comes across the Nogizaka parents. They were weeping, crying and hugging each other. Yuuto was confused at first, until the mother named Akiho cried out "Haruka's been kidnapped!"

Yuuto was shocked. "What?"

The father named Gentou, showed Yuuto the note and said, "Read the note. Read it!"

Yuuto was terrified at first, but he began to read the note out loud.

"Dear Nogizaka Family,

We have your daughter, Haruka. We want 100 billion yen sent to Kamurocho before the week is over. We will write again with instructions. If you do not come up with the money by next week, you will never see your daughter alive again!"

Gentou and Akiho were still crying. Gentou cried "How the hell did these kidnappers get past security?"

Yuuto became sad. But, he decided that the Nogizaka family should not give up hope. He knew Haruka better than anyone in his school, and if she is calling for help, he will always be there for her. So, he says "Let me go rescue Haruka."

"What?" Gentou screams. "I will not allow you to go and save her!"

"Why not?" Yuuto asks angrily

"You should not put yourself in danger!" Gentou says, "I will send the Hell Hounds after those guys!"

"You do that; those kidnappers will be scared off and will probably kill Haruka in less than a week!" Yuuto argues

"What do you propose we do, then?" Gentou screams, "Sit there while you're on your rescue mission?"

"I don't want to sit around and watch Haruka die!" Yuuto cries

"You don't even know your way around Kamurocho!" Gentou argues

"You might be surprised!" Yuuto continues,

"STOP!" Akiho cries. The two guys stop arguing.

She sighs. "Gentou, Yuuto is doing an honourable thing here. He is willing to give his own life to save our daugther! You should be grateful for accepting him as Haruka's friend!"

Then, she turns to Yuuto. "That being said, are you sure you can save Haruka, Yuuto?"

"Yes, Mrs. Nogizaka." Yuuto replies, "I do not know what's in store for me, but I swear on my own grave that your daughter will be alive, safe and sound."

Gentou growled, but he knows that he does not have other options. He knows that he dislikes the idea of having his daughter hang around with Yuuto all the time. But, his wife actually likes the idea. He will eventually have to make a compromise.

Gentou sighs then says, "OK. Fine. Yuuto, you can go after her. But, only because my wife likes you two together."

"OK." Yuuto says, "Thank you very much, Nogizaka-san." and bows respectfully

"We'll call you to check on you." Gentou says, "Don't you go slacking off!"

"I understand." Yuuto says and runs out of the Nogizaka residence.

Gentou says, "I still don't like this idea."

Akiho replies, "We don't have a choice. I think Yuuto really cares for Haruka. And he's willing to risk himself for her. Don't you think that's a selfless thing to do?"

Gentou sighs. "Maybe you're right..."

Yuuto is packing his clothes and all his belongings to prepare to head to Kamurocho. His older night-coloured-hair sister comes in his room asking, "Where do you think you're going?"

Yuuto answers, "Ruko, I'm heading to Kamurocho."

"What?" Ruko is shocked by the news. "What are you going to do in Kamurocho?"

"Where have you living, Ruko?" Yuuto says, "Haruka Nogizaka's been kidnapped and is being held somewhere in Kamurocho!"

"What?" Ruko cried

"Yuu-chan..." someone said

"Oh, man..." Yuuto says.

In came the teacher who has been rooming with the Ayases, Yukari Kamishiro. She is usually drunk, and when Yuuto is around, she gets all cutesy and beggish. She says, "Yuu-chan... Where... Are you heading off to?"

Ruko answers, "He's going off to Kamurocho..." Then, she grabs Yuuto in a headlock. "Tell your Sensei why you are going to Kamurocho for!"

Yuuto grunts, trying to escape his sister's hold. Then, he saw Yukari grab hold of Yuuto's legs. "What are you doing, Sensei?"

"I... Want... To... Know... What you're going to do!" Yukari cries.

"Let go of me!" Yuuto cries, "What I'm doing in Kamurocho is none of your business!"

"Come on, Yuuto!" Ruko cries, "We both want to know what you're doing! Let me hear it again!"

"Pweeeeeassssse?" Yukari cried.

Yuuto finally gives in and yells, "I'm going to save Haruka Nogizaka!"

Yuuto already called a taxi. He already said his goodbyes to Ruko and Yukari. And he placed his items in the taxi and it drove away. Yuuto looks at the window and thinks about his possible adventures in Kamurocho. At the same time, he is praying that Haruka Nogizaka will be OK.


	2. Ayase in Kamurocho

Chapter 2: Ayase in Kamurocho

Yuuto Ayase finally arrives in Kamurocho, which is Tokyo's red-light district. While the streets are littered with ordinary citizens, there are also some dangerous faces around this area. These dangerous faces range from varying street hoodlums to yakuza gangsters. Little does Yuuto know that it is the place where people speak out about the legendary yakuza gangster, known as "The Dragon of Dojima".

Yuuto walks along Tenkaichi Street, looking around, but gasps when he notices something. At the window at the nearby Poppo Mart, there is a poster showing that Innocent Smile is on sale.

Innocent Smile is a monthly magazine filled with manga. The type of manga that was presented there is the type aimed at young girls. The most notable manga being presented on this magazine is "Clumsy Akichan". Yuuto looks up at the sky. He remembers the time that he gave the first ever issue of Innocent Smile to Haruka Nogizaka. That was the reason that she began her otaku addiction.

He decides to go inside the Poppo Mart and purchase the issue. He paid only ¥500 for it, out of the allowance of ¥5 million that the Nogizaka Family gave him for his mission in Kamurocho.

He walks further turning east on Taihei Boulevard, and just near the coin lockers before the huge building known as the Millennium Tower, he spots a young woman lying down... With issues of Innocent Smile scattered all over the street.

Yuuto walks over and says "What's wrong? Are you OK?"

The woman says, "Please don't come near me."

Yuuto replies, "Please. Let me help you."

After a minute or so, she gives in and holds out her hand. Yuuto helped her up. She said, "I'm sorry that I was rude to you. You see... I bought all these issues of Innocent Smile and they kinda fell off my backpack." She then chuckles.

She looks at her watch and says, "Sorry... I have to go to meet someone at Café Alps. I'll meet you some other time." And she runs off.

Yuuto decided to follow her. She ran down Nakamichi Street. Yuuto followed her until he reached Café Alps, which is one of two coffee shops that lies on that same street. He goes inside.

He noticed two people talking. One of which was the young woman from before. There was another young woman sitting beside her.

The young woman Yuuto met said, "Look. I want to end the deal, right here and now. I'll even give back that ¥10 million I borrowed."

"I can't let you do that." The other young woman said, "It's far too late to back out now."

"I can't uphold my end of the deal." the first young woman replies, "I can't draw comics all my life!"

"If you're worried about your father, I'll talk to him about this problem." the other young woman says

"My father..." the artist says, "...is not one you can easily talk to about this sort of problem. You know what? I'm just gonna quit."

"No way!" the other young woman said, "I'm sure you'll write an awesome comic! As your editor, I'm going to help you as much as you can."

But the artist gets up, and walks away, bumping Yuuto. "Hey, it's you." The artist says, but she remained speechless and left.

Yuuto walks over to the editor sitting on the table. "Hmmm... You must know Aragaki, yes?" she says

"Not really." Yuuto replies. "I just found her lying down on the street."

"I guess she's been working so hard." The editor said

Yuuto replies, "No. That's not true. I saw her with a heavy bag full of magazines." He sighs and then asks, "Who is that girl anyway?"

"Why, she's Miyuki Aragaki, Kamurocho's Great Mangaka!" the editor exclaims, then speaks quietly. "Well... At least she'll be called that one day."

"Why is that?" Yuuto asks

"What happened is," the editor explains, "Aragaki won the Maki Minami Award from Innocent Smile, and all of the issues from that magazine are sold out apparently."

"That must be the reason Miss Aragaki bought all those magazines." Yuuto deduces

The editor nods. "Anyway, her father is a famous doctor in Okinawa."

"I might go to Okinawa," Yuuto says, "But I'm not sure when. I'll definitely try to talk to her father."

"Good idea. I agree." The editor said, "I'll meet you at under the monorail station."

"OK." Yuuto says, "I'll see you then." He then leaves.

The moment he got out of Café Alps, Yuuto heard his cellphone go off. The ringtone was that of a cutesy anime opening theme. He reaches in his pockets and opens his cellphone.

"Hello?" he says

"It's Akiho Nogizaka." the person on the other line said

"Oh! Mrs. Nogizaka-san!" Yuuto cried

"Can you do me a favour?" Akiho asks,

"Yes?" Yuuto says

"I would like to see what Kamurocho is like." Akiho says, "I have never been to this place. And I plan to go one day. So... Will you please take a few photos of the sights for me?"

"Sure." Yuuto agrees, "I can certainly do that."

"Thank you." Akiho replies, "I'll be expecting them soon! Bye for now."

"Take care, Mrs. Nogizaka." Yuuto says, and hangs up.

Then he looks around and notices a young woman sifting through a box. Yuuto looks and says, "Hm? What's this?" And he gets out his cellphone.

The young woman took out of what appears to be tissues. She looks around. She flashes them out and says, "Ha!"

She rushes to her targets, handing off the tissues, saying a greeting at lightning speed! A guy smoking a cigarette looked on in awe. The woman sped through 5 people and finally came upon the cigarette guy. She swapped the cigarette with the tissue then sighs. The guy looks at the tissue and says, "Wha... What?" It seems he's not the only one. All the other 5 people were in complete shock and amazement.

Yuuto thought as he got the good photos, "Wow... That girl ran so fast, and sifted through her targets all at once!"

Yuuto then thought "I've got it!" Then, he rammed his cellphone buttons like mad. Then, he slams down the button to confirm.

In his mind, Yuuto sees himself zipping to four individual men and slapping them down. The first one he will get behind and be taken out, the second one will be out cold with a couple of punches, the third will get smacked with one in the face and the last one will have his hand grabbed, slapped down and be sent flying with a huge slap in the face.

Turns out Yuuto is making a blog for himself, which he will show the Nogizaka Family upon his conclusion of his trip in Kamurocho.

Then, he recieves another call. He picks up. "Hello?" He says.

"It's your sister, Ruko." the person on the other line said

Yuuto sighs then asks, "What do you want?"

"I heard there's a really cool karate teacher north of where you are." Ruko suggests, "I know you got some of your skills from me, but I thought you might want to check that guy out."

"OK." Yuuto replies, "I will make sure I do that. Is that all you called me for?"

"Uhh..." Ruko started, but it's clear to Yuuto that she is a bit too drunk to remember.

"OK. Bye." Yuuto says and quickly hangs up before his sister could say anything.

Yuuto ran north along Nakamichi, rushing past Theatre Square, which is a large open area near the theatres. Then, he rushed past Shichifuku Street, right into the Hotel District. He turns right and notices a homeless guy. He rushes right into Yuuto and says, "Please help me, good sir! These thugs want to hurt me!"

Yuuto notices the thugs, dressed in typical street clothing. The three walk up to both of them and one of them said, "Hey, punk! We want something you have!"

"What do you mean?" Yuuto says,

"That guy's a homeless guy, right?" the second hoodlum cried

"We're 'The Homeless Hunters'!" The third hoodlum cried, "We take out the trash that are these bums! And you're in our way! Do you want to die tonight?"

Yuuto was weighing his options in his mind. He wanted nothing to do with this mess, but at the same time, he does not want to see tough guys pick on the poor bum. And not only that, Yuuto wanted to take out the thugs using his karate skills gained from his sister, Ruko.

He takes a breath and said, "Leave the bum alone. If you want to hurt him, try to get through me first!"

"Huh?" The third hoodlum cried,

"OK! It's on asshole!" The first hoodlum cried, "Break him apart, boys!"

The two hoodlums rushed to Yuuto. Yuuto stood his ground and waited. The third hoodlum rushed to grab Yuuto, only to grab air. "What?" he cried,

Yuuto dodged the grab and gave a one-two punch in the head of the third hoodlum. Yuuto grabs the hoodlum from behind and throws him down.

"Eat this, bitch!" the second hoodlum cried and Yuuto got hit, square in the jaw. Yuuto shakes his head and gave the second hoodlum a one-two punch and a hammer hook. Yuuto saw the first hoodlum, ready to punch, but he reacted and dodged. Yuuto knocked the back of the head with a punch of his own.

The body hit a pole. The third hoodlum rushed at Yuuto, only to meet a clothesline from Yuuto's arm.

"Dammit..." the first hoodlum cried and he and his little group got up, still feeling the pain they got, "Let's get out of here!"

All three Homeless Hunting Hoodlums ran off. The poor homeless man turned to Yuuto and said, "Wow. That was amazing! Thanks for saving my life!"

"It's no problem." Yuuto replies, "I'm glad I could help."

"But I have another problem." the homeless man said, "These Homeless Hunters have kicked us out!"

"What?" Yuuto cried,

"Yeah." the bum said, "We used to reside in that building over there." He points to the tall building that appears to be under construction. "That's the Ryuugujou. We have a gambling center for those who are lucky players. That's also our turf, so... Help us clear the riffraff, please?"

"Sure." Yuuto replies, "I'll go see what's up."

Yuuto walks south to the building. He sees a group of bums, looking at the Homeless Hunters group and they're yelling "Those bastards are on our turf! Let's get them!"

Yuuto approaches the homeless group, and said, "Leave it to me, guys. I'll go and rough those Homeless Hunters up."

"Oh, you will?" one of the bums said, "All right! Good luck, kid!"

Yuuto approaches the Homeless Hunters and says, "I believe this is a place for the homeless people. I think you guys should pack up and hit the road."

"And who are you to tell us that?" one of the Homeless Hunter hoodlums cried

"How's about we beat your punk ass?" another Homeless Hunter hoodlum yells

"You know..." Yuuto taunts, "You're more than welcome to try."

"OK." one of the Homeless Hunter hoodlums said, "We can make that happen!"

Then, the 5 of them charged at Yuuto. Then... ZIP! Yuuto ran behind a hoodlum and slapped him in the back, then he zipped to another hoodlum and pounded him with two hard punches. Yuuto then rushed to another hoodlum and punched him out, then he zipped the fourth hoodlum, grabbed his hand, slapped it down and... POW! Another slap from Yuuto's right hand sent that hoodlum flying!

The last hoodlum was scared of Yuuto. Yuuto walks over and did a one-two-three punch and two-kick combo to defeat him.

Yuuto looks around. One of the hoodlums said, "Damn... We got beat by a kid!"

Just then, a guy wearing a huge blue vest came out and said, "What's going on here?"

One of the hoodlums pointed at Yuuto and said, "That kid... Roughed us up..."

"Heh." The blue-vested hoodlum walks up to Yuuto. "So, you messed up my boys' faces, huh?"

"Yeah." Yuuto replied, "On behalf of the homeless people here, I think you need to pack up and get out."

"Well, as the leader of the Homeless Hunters, I say 'Fuck you.'" he replies,

"You'd do well not to mess with me." Yuuto cries, "As your boys have witnessed, I may not strong muscles, but I have beaten them down. So, either leave the Ryuugujou or face the consequences."

"How about... no, you wack young fuck?" the Homeless Hunter Leader said, "How 'bout I beat your ass down, find the hobos and run them out of this town?"

The two raised their fists and began to fight. Yuuto connected his one-two punch and body-and-knee shot. The leader jabbed, but Yuuto easily side-stepped away. Yuuto did another combo, involving the one-two-three punch and hammer hook, in which he kept his fists up and brought them down hard.

Yuuto then stomped on the leader. The leader got up and poked Yuuto with a jab. Yuuto grabbed the leader and... slammed and pounded his face on a waist-high gate.

The leader was panting and he cried, "Shit! Let's get out of here, guys!" All the Homeless Hunters ran off. They were never heard of in Kamurocho again.

All the homeless people walk up to Yuuto. One of them said, "Thank you for getting back the Ryuugujou for us!"

Yuuto chuckles and says, "It's no problem."

Another homeless bum said, "We'll let you in the Ryuugujou whenever you want. But, just give us a bit to have everything set up. We'll call you when it's ready for your use."

"OK." Yuuto agrees, and he gives the homeless group his cellphone number. Both sides part ways right after.

Yuuto then heard growling. It was his stomach. He is hungry. "Aw..." he thought, "I haven't had dinner yet. I better go eat somewhere."

He walked a bit to the east on Park Boulevard, then south where the parking lot is on Shichifuku Street. Then... His cellphone went off. Yuuto picks it up. "Hello?" he says,

"It's one of the homeless guys." the person on the other line said, "The Ryuugujou is all set up! You can now go in and use our facilities!"

"All right, thanks!" Yuuto replied, "Take care!" He then hangs up.

He noticed a restaurant. It's noted to have the best Korean food in town. It is called "Kanrai".

Yuuto goes in and got his own seat. He looked at the menu. There is delicious Korean cuisine available. Some of these items included Jjigae, Kimchi and Japchae. Japchae is a Korean noodle dish, that comes with vegetables, beef and sometimes rice. Kimchi is a common Korean dish. It consists of vegetables with varying seasonings. It is also a common ingredient and can be combined to create other Korean dishes like Kimchi Jjigae. Jjigae, on the other hand is a Korean stew... And it is sometimes VERY hot to handle and eat.

The waitress walks by after Yuuto scanned through the menu, saying "So, have you thought about what to order?"

Yuuto finally responds, "I'll have some Kimchi Jjigae."

"It will be delivered on its way, sir." the waitress replied

As he was waiting, Yuuto took out a few pictures of Haruka Nogizaka. He sighs and thought, "I would give anything for her to be here with me."

He remembers the conversation that made him gain a friend within Haruka. Even though Haruka is a weirdo, due to her secret hobby of liking anime and manga, despite her social status, in which she is a rich person, he still accepts her and is willing to keep that secret from reaching out. Knowing full well that she's been kidnapped made Yuuto very worried. And the possible consequence that she may be killed in a week sends a quivering feeling in his stomach.

After a while, he got the Kimchi Jjigae. He tasted it... And it was VERY hot! He thought, "I love this stuff!" He eventually finished the bowl.

He paid the cashier ¥1,100 for the food, and left.

Yuuto wanted to turn in for the night, so he walked west on Shichifuku Street. He went back to the Hotel District and found a room to stay in. He settled in and decided to go to sleep for the night. For Yuuto, tomorrow... Will be another day, and he will start his mission to save Haruka Nogizaka.


	3. The Master of Martial Arts

Chapter 3: The Master of Martial Arts

Yuuto got up and changed into his typical clothing when he hangs around with Haruka outside of school. He wore his black pants with a white button shirt. Under it, he wore a black shirt. Then, he left the hotel room to continue his adventure in Kamurocho.

The moment he went outside, his cellphone went off. Yuuto was quick and prompt about picking up the phone. "Hello?" He said,

"It's Akiho." the other person on the line said, "Have you found anything on Haruka's kidnappers?"

"No, Mrs. Nogizaka-san." Yuuto replies, "I just arrived in Kamurocho yesterday. At least let me settle in."

"Sorry." Akiho said, and then cries "I'm just so scared that my little baby will die in a few days!"

"Calm down, Mrs. Nogizaka-san." Yuuto said, "I'll start by looking around for clues on Haruka's kidnappers. I know they said that she is somewhere in Kamurocho, but... I don't know where."

"OK, Yuuto-san." Akiho said, "Please be careful!"

"Don't worry, Mrs. Nogizaka-san." Yuuto replies, "I'll be OK. You can count on me."

He then hangs up the phone. He then runs south past Theatre Square. He ran on Tenkaichi Street. Then, he heard "Hey!"

Yuuto looks around and sees a homeless guy. The homeless bum observes Yuuto for a bit. Yuuto gets creeped out and said, "Umm... what are you doing?"

"I'm just looking at you." says the bum, "I see you that you are not strong, but I do feel an aura around you that screams out, 'I need to gain strength... I want to fight!'. Take this letter and take a read of it."

Yuuto reads the letter and notices a name... Sotaro Komaki. Yuuto thought, "Could Komaki be the teacher that Ruko was talking about?"

Yuuto looks up and says, "Hey... Do you know if..." And the bum is gone.

Yuuto read the letter further. His dojo is in the Ryuugujou. Yuuto puts the letter away and runs back up north. He reaches the door to the Ryuugujou and goes inside. He enters in a room that is built like a dojo. It had the paintings of the kanji for Shin, Gi, Tai and Goku. Each word means "Mind, Body, Technique and Ultimate".

Standing in the center of the room is an old man with hair like a grey wolf, tied to a ponytail. He is wearing clothing that is fit for a master, with a thin brown vest and a white long-sleeve shirt. He has on pants that are as blue as the night sky.

Yuuto went to speak to the old man, asking "Excuse me. Are you Sotaro Komaki? Are you the one who has said to have created mastered the Komakiryuu Martial Arts?"

The old man replied after a few seconds of silence, "I am indeed Sotaro Komaki. What is your request?"

Yuuto was really happy inside. He knows that he has a rough road ahead and will face danger in many spots in Kamurocho. He will be trained by the great Komaki himself! There may be a possibility that Haruka Nogizaka, upon being rescued, may ask Yuuto to be her bodyguard, whenever some horribly behaved people (and that includes street hoodlums and yakuza gangsters) attack her.

So, then Yuuto asks, "Can I be trained by you?"

Komaki is skeptical at first, looking at Yuuto very sternly. He says, "Hmm... I don't know. I don't feel you have a strong body."

"Huh?" Yuuto cried, "What do you mean?"

"Look at you." Komaki said, "You don't have muscles!"

"I may not be strong, but I took down some thugs who occupied this place!" Yuuto replies,

"I also feel you do not have a strong mind." Komaki observed,

"Huh?" Yuuto cried, "I'm a smart guy and I have never let my emotions get to me."

"Hmm..." Komaki said, still a bit skeptical on Yuuto's request, "Do you even have good technique?"

"Well... I was trained by my sister, Ruko Ayase, in the form of karate." Yuuto answers,

"I don't believe it's enough." Komaki says

Then, Yuuto got down on his knees and begged, "Please, Komaki! I want to be trained by you! I want to face the danger knowing that your skills are worthwhile to learn! And I want to rescue my best friend, Haruka Nogizaka! Please, Komaki! Let me be your student! I beg of you."

Komaki knew he had no choice. Despite his skepticism on Yuuto, he does know that the kid has a good heart and will go at any lengths to rescue his friend. He sighs and says, "OK... I will train you."

"Really?" Yuuto cries,

"Yes." Komaki answers, "First though, you have meet three former students of mine. Sparring with them will make you get in the groove of the Komakiryuu Martial Arts. One is located near the M.E.B. on Shichifuku Street. Another is working as a cashier at Smile Burger on Nakamichi Street. And the last one, you can find at the Sushi Gin on Showa Street."

Yuuto bows and says, "Thank you, Komaki-sensei! I will not let you down!" He runs out of the Ryuugujou.

Yuuto ran south to Shichifuku Street. Then he turned east until he saw the M.E.B. He noticed a guy in a white coat, passing tissues to people. Yuuto walks up to the white-coat guy. The white-coat guy said, "Please come by to this place! You won't regret it!" and gave Yuuto a tissue to Club Ageha.

Yuuto said, "Thanks." Then he asks, "Are you one of Komaki's former students?"

"Why, yes, I am." The white-coat guy answers, "Who's asking?"

"I am." Yuuto said, "I want to spar with you."

"Are you sure about this?" The white-coat guy asks, "OK... Come at me then."

Yuuto threw a punch and the white-coat guy side-stepped and whacked Yuuto's stomach with a Muay Thai-like knee strike. Yuuto coughs and was dizzy, gripping his stomach in pain. "That there is the Komakiryuu Ukenageshi." the white-coat guy said, "You can call it the Komaki-Style Flowing Catch. That attack is a thing of beauty. It's a nice counter move that'll stun guys like you."

Then, he punched Yuuto. Yuuto quickly recovered and grabbed the white-coat guy. He threw him down and propped him back up. Yuuto then did a one-two-three punch and one-two kick combo. The white-coat guy got up and said, "Wow... For someone who does not look strong, you are strong! Man! I gotta run off and train with Komaki some more! You know what... I going to quit my job and do that, then!" Then, he runs off.

Yuuto thought, "Wow... So... I now have the Ukenageshi in my arsenal of moves. Awesome!"

Then, Yuuto ran south on little street connecting Shichifuku and Taihei near the Millennium Tower. Then, he ran further to the south on Nakamichi Street. Then, he saw the sign for Smile Burger on the corner of an alleyway. Yuuto walks inside. He sees a man at the cashier stand. "Welcome!" he says and he bows, "May I take your order?"

"I'm not hungry." Yuuto responds, "Actually, are you one of Komaki's former students?"

"Yes, I am." the cashier said, "Who's asking?"

"I am." Yuuto says, "I want to spar with you."

"You want to take this outside?" the cashier said, "OK. Let's do it then." Then he calls out, "Hey, boss! I'm going on break!"

The two go outside and the worker said, "Come at me then!"

Yuuto throws a punch and... POW! He is sent flying across the street! He got dizzy for a bit. "See that?" the worker said after rising up from his crouching position, "That's the Komakiryuu Toraotoshi! Also known as the Komaki-Style Tiger Killer! That's a killer move to learn that'll send guys like you flying!"

Yuuto recovers and runs at the worker. He jumps and lifts his legs at the worker and it smacked him in his face. Yuuto propped him back up and finished the worker off with a one-two-three punch and hammer hook. The worker got up and said, "Man... You have some skill there. I guess I have to train some more, huh? All right. It's time for me to go, huh?" He then runs away.

Yuuto thought, "Well... I now have the Toraotoshi to rely on now."

Yuuto ran south to Showa Street and looked at the map since he doesn't know where Sushi Gin is. Thankfully, it was not hard to spot. The restaurant is west of his actual current position. He runs there and goes inside.

A white-shirt and apron guy was there. He greeted Yuuto saying, "Welcome! May I take your order?"

"No, it's OK. I'm not hungry." Yuuto says, "Hey. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." the white-shirt and apron guy replied,

"Are you one of Komaki's former students?" Yuuto asks

"Yeah. Who's asking?" the white-shirt and apron guy said

"I want to spar with you." Yuuto said,

"Let's step outside." the white-shirt and apron guy responded

The two of them went outside and the white-shirt and apron guy said, "Let's do this then."

Yuuto threw a combo of punches, but... BANG! Yuuto was losing his balance. He tried again, but... BANG! Yuuto nearly fell, but he noticed the white-shirt and apron guy was blocking his punches and parrying them. "That's the Komakiryuu Hajikigaeshi." the white-shirt and apron guy said, "Otherwise known as the Komaki-Style Parrying Reversal. I block punches and I push annoying punching guys like you away."

Yuuto grabbed the guy and threw him on the ground. He propped the white-shirt and apron guy back up. Then, Yuuto did a one-two punch and a body-knee strike. The white-shirt and apron guy was about to throw a punch, but... Yuuto crouched, delivered a low-blow and threw him down. The white-shirt and apron guy got up and said, "Wow... You're good, kid. I gotta train with Komaki some more! See ya!" And he ran off.

Yuuto then thought, "I've learned the Hajikigaeshi now. Looks like I'm set for those moves." He began to think some more, "I better take a break from all that training and see what more I can do in Kamurocho."

Yuuto walked a bit up north until he noticed Club Sega. It's an arcade filled with video games and a crane game called the U.F.O. Catcher. He goes inside and looks at the prizes at the U.F.O. Catcher. "Hmm..." Yuuto thought, "These prizes might impress Haruka Nogizaka a bit... Should I try and get one for her?"

He weighed his options. Aside from the Innocent Smile magazine he bought at the Poppo Mart, it may not be enough to make Haruka happy. But, Innocent Smile is the reason that Haruka loved and is obsessed with anime and manga in the first place.

Then he thought, "OK. I guess I'll do it." Then, he put a ¥100 coin in the machine.

Then he saw the little Chura doll. "Chura" means 'pretty' in Okinawan Japanese. It is a shield-wearing, pink-haired girl doll. "Haruka might like this!" Yuuto said, and aimed the crane right at it. It dropped and went to pick it up. Unfortunately, crane games are notorious for missing grabs and this time was no different. It missed the toy and went back to its position on the lower-left corner of the machine.

"Man!" Yuuto thought and tried again. He aimed the crane right at the Chura doll and lowered it. Unfortunately, it did not grab the doll. The crane lifted up and went back to its original position.

"OK... One more time." Yuuto thought and aimed the crane at the doll once more. This time, it grabbed the toy and hung on until... it dropped in the hole for Yuuto to grab! "Yes! I did it!" Yuuto cried out loud. People were looking at him awkward. He just chuckles and leaves.

Yuuto achieved his goal of getting the doll for Haruka. He looks up at the sky and remembers something. He had a really fun time hanging around with Haruka at Akihabara. The two went from place to place, but haven't spent a penny. Haruka has spent her money on a toy vending machine. They even went to a cosplay restaurant for lunch and got a photo together, with Haruka dressing up as a maid. Haruka wanted to buy a handheld gaming device, but ran out of cash, and was all sad about it. Yuuto cheers her up by thanking her for taking him along. The reason for that... is that he had a really good time with Haruka.

Then, he realized that he had to go back to Komaki's dojo in the Ryuugujou. So, he ran north on Nakamichi, along the little street connecting Taihei & Shichifuku near the Millennium Tower and along the little roadway to the north before Park Boulevard.

He walked inside and said, "I've done that part of my training, Komaki-sensei."

"Good." Komaki said, "Now, it's time that you prove yourself."

"Does he mean that I have to spar with Komaki himself?" Yuuto thought

"Come out..." Komaki called, "...my #1 student."

The student looked like a typical homeless bum, wearing street clothes with a toque, which is a winter hat. "You called, Komaki-sensei?" he said

"This child needs to be trained." Komaki said, looking at Yuuto, "Please spar with him."

"I will give my all against this one, Komaki-sensei." He said, bowing. Then he looked at Yuuto. "Well, then... you must be Komaki's new student, hm? Well, then... let me see what you have then."

Both men faced each other. They looked at each other sternly. "Are you sure you want to do this?" the student said,

"Bring it on." Yuuto replied,

The two spar for a while. Yuuto tried punching, but the student evaded the attacks by rolling on the the floor. The student got behind Yuuto and chopped his back. Yuuto saw the student rolling right in front of him and followed up with a jab, a downward punch and an uppercut. The student fell on his back. Yuuto stomped on him. The student got up and rolled in front of Yuuto. Yuuto did a kick to interrupt the roll. Yuuto did a one-two-three punch and and hammer hook to follow up the attack. Yuuto then propped the student back up.

The student tried to attack Yuuto with a chop, but... POW! Yuuto caught him with the Ukenageshi reversal, then Yuuto walked behind the student. He grabbed the student and bashed his posterior. Yuuto struggled to lift him up. "Man, this guy weighs like a ton of stones!" Yuuto thought, but he threw him down... Hard!

The student got up and said, "Man! You are the real deal, kid. I haven't lost to someone like you."

Yuuto thought, "That roll might be useful for my fights... Thank goodness I learned how it can be handled."

Komaki said, "Well done, my grasshopper. You have shown me that you can face danger on these streets. Now, you are worthy of my teachings to you."

"So... Do you have more moves to teach me, Komaki-sensei?" Yuuto asks,

"Hmm..." Komaki said, "I do, but I do not have the scroll to teach you these moves."

Yuuto sighs. Komaki continued, saying, "When I moved here in the Ryuugujou from the empty lot in the Champion District, I thought I had packed everything, but I am missing that scroll. It is the Gion Mute Scroll. This scroll has many moves that can really pin down an opponent. These include a sword-counterattack with the use of bare hands, a grabbing move that will break an opponent's skull from a waist-high object, and a move that is so powerful... It almost takes years for men to master it."

"A guy named Kamekichi made off with the scroll. He might be around a park, somewhere in this city."

"OK, Komaki-sensei." Yuuto replies and bows, "I shall retrieve that scroll for you. I won't disappoint you!" He then runs off.

It was evening and Yuuto ran east on Park Boulevard to the West Park, which is a small little park on the northeast corner of Kamurocho. Unfortunately, Kamekichi was not there. "Man!" Yuuto thought, "I better look for another park."

Then, he saw a taxi. He says, "Excuse me! Do you know if there any other parks in this city?"

"Why, yes." the taxi driver said, "There is a park between Tenkaichi and Nakamichi Streets called Park No. 3. There is another park called the 'Children's Park' right at the west end of Shichifuku Street. I can take you to either Nakamichi Street or to Shichifuku Street West. The fare is set to ¥660. Which route do you want?"

Yuuto thought and balanced his options. Park No. 3 is a bit far from Nakamichi, and the Children's Park is close to Shichifuku Street West. It was clearly no contest. So... He said, "Shichifuku Street West, please."

"OK! Hop in!" the taxi driver said, and Yuuto got in the taxi. It drive off to Shichifuku Street West.

Yuuto got off and paid the ¥660 fare. He then ran to the Children's Park... To find a bum sitting on a bench. "Excuse me," Yuuto asks, "Are you Kamekichi?"

"No, I'm not." the bum answers, "That guy doesn't hang around here anymore. Why don't you go check out the gambling parlour? You might see him there."

"OK. Will do." Yuuto replies and left the park.

He ran back to the Ryuugujou and took the elevator to the gambling parlour. He sees another bum. Yuuto asks, "Excuse me, but are you Kamekichi?"

The bum answers, "Why yes, I am."

"Great!" Yuuto said, "Komaki-sensei tells me that you might have Gion Mute Scroll. Do you have it on you?"

"Nope. Sorry." Kamekichi answers, "I sold that scroll for cash so I can gamble here. I sold that thing at the Ebisuya Pawn Shop in an alley between Nakamichi and Pink Streets. Better get it quick before anyone else does."

"OK. Thanks." Yuuto replies, and he leaves.

Yuuto ran south to Nakamichi Street through Theatre Square and Taihei Boulevard. He ran down the alley where Club Sega is. He saw a store with a bunch of items stocked on the shelf, which includes monogram bags and in a glass case, there are a lot of perfumes and colognes.

Yuuto walks inside and greets the owner. "Good evening." He said and bows,

"Good evening, sir." the pawn shop owner said, "How may I help you today?"

"Do you have a..." Yuuto said, then whispered, "...a Gion Mute Scroll?"

"Yes, I do." the owner replies, "That'll be ¥31,500."

Yuuto paid the money and received the scroll. Yuuto looked at the scroll. He doesn't quite understand what is written, but judging by the kanji, he reads "Swordless Rebirth", "Skull Smasher" and... "Angel King".

Yuuto leaves, but stops when he heard, "Nice threads, man. Can I have them?"

Yuuto turns around. It is a street hoodlum, dressed in red. Yuuto looks at him, up and down. He said, "Umm... No."

"No?" the hoodlum cries, "How 'bout I pound that shit out of you then?"

Yuuto did a one-two punch and body-and-knee strike. The hoodlum fell to the floor. Yuuto props the hoodlum back up. He then gave the hoodlum a medium kick. The hoodlum growled at Yuuto and threw a punch. Yuuto blocked that and... BANG! The hoodlum was reversed by a Hajikigaeshi. Yuuto then gave the hoodlum a quick jab.

"Come!" Yuuto cried and made a motion with his hand to signal a taunt to come at him. The hoodlum was angered, and then tries to throw another punch and... POW!

The hoodlum fell to the floor, unable to get up. Yuuto successfully reversed the hoodlum's strike with a Toraotoshi. Yuuto stood up from his crouching position.

He walked to the hoodlum. The downed hoodlum said, weakly, "Dammit... You're a strong guy! I won't bother you anymore. Please take this..."

The hoodlum gave Yuuto some Ancient Black Sand Steel. Yuuto looked at it as he walked, and he thought, "What is this thing for? I might find out later..."

Yuuto ran back north on Nakamichi, running past the Millennium Tower to Shichifuku and rushed to a street to find the Ryuugujou.

Yuuto gave the scroll back to Komaki. He said, "Well done, grasshopper. Now, we shall start on one of these techniques. My #1 student..."

"Yes, Komaki-sensei?" The student replies and bows

"Why don't you grab a katana?" Komaki asks, "I going to teach Yuuto the Swordless Rebirth technique."

"Ohh..." Yuuto thought, "So that's what that scroll has. It has a bunch of new moves that Komaki-sensei can teach me!"

Both Yuuto and the student, armed with the katana looked at each other. Komaki said, "Yuuto, I'm going to show you how to do the Swordless Rebirth technique. What you have to do is wait for the student to strike you with the katana. At the moment he does, reverse it by blocking his arms and throwing him down. By doing this, he just might drop his sword."

Yuuto practiced this move a few times. It was difficult, given the fact that he had to evade the sharp gleam of the katana... A lot. But, he grew focused and managed to master that technique.

"Good job!" Komaki said, "You mastered the Swordless Rebirth technique! Know that some guys will cling onto their katanas and will never let go, but some guys will drop their swords. As a result of that, they will become ordinary fighters."

Both the student and Yuuto prepared themselves again, looking at each other. "Now, I'll teach you the Skull Smasher technique." Komaki continues, "How that will work is when you grab a guy and get near a waist-high object, throw him, head-first onto that object."

Yuuto got near the platform where Komaki is meditating, which is waist-high. He grabbed the student and... CRACK! Yuuto threw the student head-first on the platform. He did this a couple of times. Yuuto found this technique to be pretty straightforward.

"Well done!" Komaki said, "You have mastered the Skull Smasher technique! If you find platforms like the one I meditate, that move will be useful."

Then, Komaki said, "This final technique I'll show you... You can't practice it on my students... You'll have to do it on me."

"What?" Yuuto thought, "I really have to fight Komaki-sensei for this last one?"

Komaki prepares himself then explains, "This move is the Angel King technique. Reverse me with the Ukenageshi, then focus your aura on right leg, jump up and do a hard twirling kick." Yuuto prepares himself. "Now... Come at me!"

Yuuto steps forward, awaiting Komaki's first move. He throws a punch, but Komaki began zipping and dodging around like a missile. He did a one-two-three combo punch and a kick on Yuuto. Yuuto took two hits before blocking the third punch and reversing the kick with the Hajikigaeshi. Yuuto threw another punch, but Komaki zipped around again. Komaki delivered a fierce punch to Yuuto's gut.

"Man!" Yuuto thought, "Komaki-sensei is tough. I need to stay focused... And try to figure out his attack patterns, so I can reverse them successfully."

Yuuto threw another punch, only to have Komaki zip around again. When Komaki is about to deliver a hard punch on Yuuto... POW! Yuuto countered it with the Ukenageshi reversal, and then... POW! Yuuto jumped up. His leg had a pink aura with feathers of an angel. He delivered the kick right into Komaki's temple. Komaki was brought down.

Komaki got up. Yuuto threw another punch. Komaki zipped around once more. Komaki threw another punch, but... POW! Another Ukenageshi reversal from Yuuto. He jumps, with the blossoming glow on his leg, and... POW! Yuuto hit Komaki hard on the head with that kick.

Komaki pants and says, "Well done, Yuuto. You've learned the Angel King technique. It is a really powerful move, so use it well."

After both Yuuto and Komaki recovered, Komaki said, "I have nothing more to teach you, Yuuto Ayase. You have grown to become a powerful fighter. Good luck in rescuing your girlfriend."

Yuuto chuckles, "Well... Technically, Haruka Nogizaka is not my girlfriend."

"Still, one with a kind heart and one with the strength of a thousand men will be able to win that girl's heart." Komaki replies,

Yuuto smiles and leaves the dojo with happy memories.

Yuuto thought, "Is there more to do here in Kamurocho?" He walked around the area, going north in the Hotel District, then walking south until he saw... the Yoshida Batting Centre. "These must be the batting cages. I want to try and hit homers there." he thought and went inside.

Yuuto looks at the place. It is a place where people walk in, drop the money into the machine and try to hit as many homeruns as they can within 20 balls pitched out of a machine, which is between 30 to 50 feet away. Yuuto thought, "I want to check out this game." He saw that a game will cost only ¥300. He put the coins in the machine and got ready.

Yuuto grabbed a bat, walked up to the plate and waited for a pitch to come. He prepared to swing the bat. It came out. Yuuto waited... and... he missed.

Yuuto tried again. The pitch came and... POW. He hit it, but the ball sailed too low. He tried again. The pitch came and... WHIFF! He missed again.

"Calm down." Yuuto thought to himself, "Stay focused. Try to aim where the ball is going to go."

Then the pitch came... POW! He smacked a home run as the ball sailed high up into the target area. Yuuto remembered that method, and he did really well for the first time playing in a batting cage. He ended up getting 12 home runs out of 20 balls pitched. As a result, he won a Tauriner. He thought, "I have no idea what that's for... I should save it just in case."

Yuuto then walks and notices a guy getting ready to bat away some home runs. And watching him is his girlfriend. Yuuto thought, "Hm? What's this?" And he whips out his cellphone.

The girlfriend says, "Good luck, baby!"

The guy said, "All right! Come!"

Then the pitch came. He yells, "Ha!" And he swings the bat to smack the ball. The ball approached the bat. The two objects made contact with the ball going at a Mach 1 speed until... POW! The ball hit the guy's nutsack. "OH!" he cries,

The ball continues to give a spin on his nutsack. He drops the bat and groans. He kneels down a bit to cover the pain. His girlfriend laughs raucously, saying, "That is so hilarious!"

Another ball came and... BANG! It smashed the guy's head and spun his body until he falls on the floor into a bowing position. The girlfriend laughs and took a bunch of pictures to show how hilarious that event was.

Yuuto thought as he got the good photos, "Oh! That was painful! But, still it's a strike from below and a strike from above, huh?"

Yuuto then thought "I've got it!" Then, he rammed his cellphone buttons like mad like he did with the tissue-giving young woman. Then, he slams down the button to confirm.

In his mind, Yuuto sees himself rolling to his opponent and bashing his stomach with his head. Then, he finished the attack with a twirling kick to the opponent's head.

Yuuto grew tired and left the batting cages to go back to the hotel room. He had a really rough day, but he was glad that he is able to become prepared. He knew that saving Haruka Nogizaka will be no easy task, but as long as he is prepared, he knows that he will achieve that goal.


	4. The Hitmen

Chapter 4: The Hitmen

Yuuto woke up and changed into a nice dark blue suit. Then, he left the hotel room to eat breakfast at Matsuya on Taihei Boulevard near the Millennium Tower. In that restaurant, the food served there is usually rice bowls, but they added a Western-style breakfast to their menu, which has eggs, bacon and home fries. Yuuto ordered the Western breakfast and ate it in less than 20 minutes.

Once he paid for the food, he went outside to continue his wanderings around Kamurocho. He heard his phone ring, upon reaching Shichifuku Street via Theatre Square. He picked it up. "Hello?"

"It's Gentou." The person on the other line said, "Have you found anything yet on Haruka's kidnapping?"

Yuuto gasped. He was shocked that he forgot about what the kidnappers' motives were. "N... No." he politely answered

Gentou became angry. "What?! What the hell have you been doing, Yuuto?! Have you gone to some sort of show pub?! Are you playing around in that area?!"

"No, no, no." Yuuto assures, "I have done a bit of training with a very good martial arts teacher."

"What for?!" Gentou cries out,

"It's not only to be strong," Yuuto explains, "But, it's also because this area in Tokyo is more dangerous than you think! And I have to be ready for anything!"

Gentou sighs. "Fine. I'll let you go now, but don't make me catch you fooling around as our daughter's life is at stake!"

Yuuto hangs up without saying another word. He then took a walk around the Ryuugujou and through Park Boulevard. He noticed a kid harrassing his father over something near a shop. Yuuto had no clue what the issue at hand is. He thought, "Hm? What's this?" And he whips out his cellphone.

The kid with the sport jacket is yelling and crying, "Dad! I want some toys! There's a toy store!"

The father, in his typical adult clothing said, "I keep saying to you... it's not that kind of toy."

The kid replies, "Don't lie!" And points at the pink sign which reads "Toys".

The father said, "Well, they do mean toys, but... um... I think it's more for adults like me."

The kid continues crying to the point where he fell on his back and started kicking his legs up and down like a paddle on a boat. The father says, "Please get up." Then... POW! The kid kicked the dad on the shin.

"Owwww..." The father began groaning.

"All right!" The kid said, getting up, "Let's buy the toys!"

The father screams out, "Please! Let me go! Spare me! I'll do anythingggggggg!"

Yuuto thought as he got the good photos, "Wow. The dad let his guard down. Big mistake for him when the kid went down on his back."

Yuuto then thought "I've got it!" Then, he rammed his cellphone buttons like mad like he did with the past two instances he did this. Then, he slams down the button to confirm.

In his mind, Yuuto sees himself down on his back, and kicking his opponent's shins with his two feet. Once the opponent loses balance, Yuuto grabbed his opponent's hand, flipped him down as he got up and gave him a punch in the face before letting go of his leg.

After that, Yuuto then heard his cellphone go off. He picks it up, saying, "Hello?"

"Hi, Yuuto-san!" a girl was speaking to him on the other line, "I heard you are in Kamurocho, rescuing Haruka Nogizaka."

Yuuto gasps. "Shiina?" He cries, "Why are you calling me?"

"I've been to Kamurocho a few times myself." Shiina said, "I heard from a few people that there's like... a creepy doctor guy in a vacant lot near the Champion District."

Yuuto thought about this for a while. All of his good friends have led him to varying places, so far. But, these places have been helpful in getting Yuuto to be stronger. He then said, "OK. I'll go check this doctor out."

"Great!" Shiina says, "I'll see you soon! Bye!"

"Take care, Shiina." Yuuto replies and hangs up.

Then, Yuuto ran east to the last intersection on Park Boulevard and ran south. He checked the map of Kamurocho to find the Champion District. Thankfully, it was not that far off. There were two entrances to the Champion District. One is south of where he is on Senryo Avenue. The other entrance is on Taihei Boulevard East, and the vacant lot is in-between. Then, he ran west up to Senryo Avenue. Then, he ran into the entrance to the Champion District. Then, he ran south to the vacant lot.

Then, he noticed an old man with a lab coat. He had hair as white as a ghost and black goggles attached to his forehead. He also had a lot of wrinkles. He then began to speak in an Igor-type voice. "Hm? How are you doing today, sir?"

"I'm… I'm doing OK." Yuuto replied, slightly freaked out.

Then, Yuuto noticed a machine behind him that resembled something out of a science-fiction movie. It was a chair, with a cylinder-style bowl for the head. It also had a control panel with levers and a computer monitor to control the machine. "What is that?" Yuuto asked,

"It is a machine I built." The doctor guy said, "I can show what it can really do. It will blow your mind. All I need is a subject… and ¥100,000. Do you want to try it?"

Yuuto then thought about this. Shiina led him to a brand-new experience that he hasn't tried before. But the problem is that it was extremely expensive. What will the Nogizaka's say when they found out that he spent all the allowance on unrelated junk in Kamurocho? But, this is something new…

He then said, "Sure." And he paid ¥100,000 to the doctor guy.

"OK, young man." He said, "You may now have a seat."

Just then, they both heard, "What the hell are you doing here?!"

And approaching Yuuto and the doctor are three yakuza gangsters. The grey suit gangster approached the doctor and said, "You're in our turf, old man! You're not allowed to do business here! Pack up your shit and go home!"

"Yeah. Get lost, old man!" The bat-wielding gangster yells

"Please spare a kind doctor." The doctor cries, "I have nowhere else to go. This is the only spot that I am OK to do business in."

"We don't give a shit!" The grey-suit gangster cries, "Get the hell out of our turf!"

"Come on." Yuuto said, "Let the doctor go. If he really has nowhere else to go, then why should he leave?"

"Huh?!" the grey-suit gangster cries

"Are you trying to piss us off here?!" The bat-wielding gangster yells, "Fine! Let's kill him and the old man then!"

Yuuto got into his fighting pose and charged at the bat-wielding gangster with three punches. He swayed to the side if in case the bat-wielding gangster whiffs his bat at him. Yuuto then let loose his hammer hook-punching combo. That hit the purple-suit gangster quite a bit and took out the grey-suit gangster. He had no chance.

Yuuto then delivered a one-two punch and body-and-knee blow on the purple-suit gangster, dropping him down. Yuuto propped the gangster up, and delivered the hammer hook combo that smashed the bat-wielding gangster in full. He couldn't get up anymore.

Yuuto then focused his attention on the purple suit gangster who was whimpering like a baby. Yuuto grabbed the gangster's leg and dragged him near a wall… and swung his body until… BANG! The body smashed the wall and… POW! Yuuto jumped on it with full force!

"Goddamn…" the grey suit gangster cried, "That kid is too strong for his age!"

"Let's go, boys!" The bat-wielding gangster cries and they all ran off.

The doctor guy asked, "Do you have anything to do with those men?"

"No." Yuuto said, "I'm not a yakuza." Then he said to himself, "Man! Why do people confuse me for being a yakuza! I'm only in high school!"

"Don't worry about it." The doctor said, "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Dr. Minamida. I made a video game that came out a year ago called YF6. This is my prototype for a new game I'm going to make. It is called 'Inner Fighter 7'. You can call it IF7, for short."

"Ahh…" Yuuto replied,

"So… If you have a good mind, you might do well when you fight opponents that you have not encountered before." Dr. Minamida said, then he asks, "What is your name, son?"

"My name is Yuuto Ayase." Yuuto introduces himself,

Dr. Minamida keyed in Yuuto's name on the computer monitor. "Y-u-u-t-o-A-y-a-s-e. OK, young one. You may take a seat. Just relax."

Yuuto sat down on the chair, which then closed its metal straps on his legs and forearms. The bowl lowered on his head and the machine turned on. Yuuto closed his eyes as the machine did its magic and powered up… Then, Yuuto's vision became as white as a ghost.

Yuuto found himself in a yakuza gang's office with a desk near a window as well as a plant. The desk itself is neat with a phone on the corner and some binders on it. Also, the office had filing cabinets, a dart board and some posters of women.

But, Yuuto did not pay attention to the scenery. What he saw is a red figure with a knife in his hand. And then the word in yellow, "FIGHT!" appeared in Yuuto's vision.

Yuuto began by thrusting his hammer hook combo, but it only caught air as the red figure dodged and spun sideways to evade the attack. Then, it thrusted its knife at Yuuto while he jabbed at it, and both hits connect. Yuuto saw his HP drain a bit, same with the red figure's HP gauge.

Yuuto tried his hammer hook combo again, but this time, the hammer hook part smacked the red figure in the face. Yuuto gave it an extra punch as it slumped down. The red figure got up. Yuuto did the hammer hook combo again. The red figure took all the hits, except for the uppercut. But, it got hit by the hammer hook part.

Yuuto tried grabbing the red figure by the collar, and he flipped it down with effort. Yuuto propped the red figure back up, and then he did the hammer hook combo from behind, dropping the red figure to the floor. Yuuto propped him up again, but from the front. Once again, Yuuto lashed out the hammer hook combo, only to have the uppercut portion blocked, but the hammer hook part connect.

Yuuto picked up a large chair, and smacked the red figure with it. At the time, the red figure changed weapons from a knife to metal links for the fists called brass knuckles… and a red flaming aura burned around it. It was taking hits, but was not being knocked down.

Then… the red figure busts out 8 quick punches. 3 of these punches hit Yuuto. Then… POW! Yuuto got smashed by a haymaker uppercut from the red figure.

Yuuto did a quick low kick on the red figure, connecting. And then, he delivered two quick punches before the red figure did his 8 quick shots. Yuuto got hit by 3 quick punches before… POW! He got hit again by the harsh uppercut from the red figure.

Yuuto did another quick low kick on the red figure, hitting it. And then, he did the hammer hook combo, all the shots hitting the red figure. Then, Yuuto took two punches from the red figure. The red figure charged up for a punch which hit Yuuto, and then it gave him a good uppercut.

Yuuto did a quick low kick and reversed a punch with the Muay-Thai-like Ukenageshi reversal. Yuuto then bashed the red figure with his hammer hook combo.

The red figure got up and tried punching again, but its attack is reversed by Yuuto's Ukenageshi. And then Yuuto gave the red figure a quick kick to bring the red figure down and out. Then, the yellow words appeared in Yuuto's sight, "YOU WIN". And everything fades to black…

Then, Yuuto found himself back in the empty lot in the Champion District. "Wow…" Yuuto said to Dr. Minamida, "That was intense. Thank you very much for showing me."

"You're quite welcome, Ayase-san." Dr. Minamida replied

Then, Yuuto thought, "That thing the red figure had on… He had some moves there. When I have these things… brass knuckles, are they? I think I can pull off some cool punches."

After Yuuto got up, Dr. Minamida told him, "If you ever want to play again, young one, it's now going to be ¥10,000 a try."

"OK." Yuuto replies, "I'll make sure I'll take up on that opportunity."

Yuuto looked up in the sky, thinking how happy he was playing IF7. But, it was short-lived by... another set of rings. This time, it was Ruko calling. Yuuto picks up the phone. "What do you want, Ruko?" He said

"I just remembered." Ruko said, "I remembered reading in a magazine about a couple of brothers who make weapons. I hear there are shops run by them... One in Kamurocho and another in Ryukyugai in Okinawa. I think the one in Kamurocho is hiding in an alley behind Park Boulevard. Why don't you check them out sometime?"

"OK." Yuuto replies, "I might." He then hangs up.

Yuuto was not actually far from where it is. He ran north to the Champion District. Then, he went through the Senryo Avenue exit and ran north. Then, he ran north to the mini-street connecting Park Boulevard and Shichifuku Street East. Then, he went into the alley where there's an open door.

He walked inside and noticed a obese man with jeans and a blue plaid shirt. "Hello." Yuuto said, "Are you one of the brothers who makes weapons?"

"Y-Yes." The man replies, "I'm one of the brothers who can make weapons and repair some. My name is… Renji Kamiyama."

"Ah." Yuuto said, "What do you do?"

Renji began to explain, "I-I make weapons, I also repair weapons… and I also make accessories. I need recipes in the form of DVD's. They inspire me to make weapons from things you find around places as well as the main weapon itself. The video place… is at Beam on Pink Street. You can also buy weapons to start making items."

"Ooh. I see." Yuuto said, "I might do this sometime."

"G-Great." Renji replied, then he noticed the Ancient Black Sand Steel Yuuto has in his possession. "Ooh. That thing you have?"

Yuuto noticed the steel and showed it to Renji. "You mean this?"

"Keep that." Renji replied, "I-I might be able to make a weapon using it… Of course, I d-did say that I need a DVD recipe for it."

"OK." Yuuto replied, then he bowed. "Thank you very much, Kamiyama-san." He then leaves.

After Yuuto finished his mini-appointment with Renji Kamiyama, he walked south up to Shichifuku Street East. Then he walked west all the way to Theatre Avenue. Then, he walked on Tenkaichi Street crossing Taihei Boulevard West. He walked past the Poppo Mart where he bought the Innocent Smile magazine. Then, right when he got near the bar called "New Serena", he heard something. Someone said, "Hey! Knock it off!"

Yuuto thought, "What's going on there?"

Behind New Serena in an alley, there were two men. One of them seems to be at the mercy of the other. The man in the green suit cried out, "Ibuki! Don't you interfere with our affairs! We want nothing to do with your little group!"

"Please!" the man in the brown suit replies, "At least give me a chance to explain it to you!"

"Shut up!" the green suit man yells and... POW! He hit the brown suit man in the gut, leaving him withering in pain.

"That'll teach you not to mess with our affairs!" the green suit man cries then he leaves.

Yuuto then walks over to the brown suit man and said, "Hey. Are you all right?"

The brown suit man replies, "I'm... OK. Thank you very much."

"Listen." Yuuto said, "It may not be safe here. Why don't I take you home? But... I don't know where it is."

"OK..." The brown suit man replies, "I'll lead the way..."

The brown suit man's "home"... is a castle, but the interior is that of a dungeon with jail cells lining up the corridor. Near the door is a mini-lounge where there is a sofa where candles are lit on a wooden table. It is also where the brown suit man stood.

"Thank you for taking me back home." He said, "It was really thoughtful of you."

"You're welcome." Yuuto said, "I didn't get your name. What is it?"

"My name is Ibuki." The brown suit man answers, "I'm a member of the Fuma Family, one of the affiliated yakuza families within the Tojo Clan. I'm also in charge of the Straight Life Association. We look after people whose lives have been ruined thanks to them being involved or got mixed up in the life of crime."

"I see." Yuuto said,

"This organization was started by my boss, Osamu Kashiwagi." Ibuki continued, "He's the current head of the Fuma Family. I like working for him because he had the traits of our last boss, Shintaro Fuma. Kind, caring and always willing to give back to the community."

"Unfortunately, our group is having quite a bit of trouble recently." Ibuki continued, "There are people out against our group and yakuza families in general. There are even some of our ex-participants of the Straight Life Association after us too."

"Really?" Yuuto said, "What is this group called?"

"They call themselves..." Ibuki said, "The Hitmen."

"The Hitmen?" Yuuto said,

"These men go out and pester yakuza gangsters... sometimes, to the point of killing them." Ibuki continued, "...Unless they join. We clearly can't let that happen."

"What is your name, young one?" Ibuki then asked,

"My name is Yuuto Ayase." Yuuto introduced himself,

"Yuuto." Ibuki asks, "Can you capture these men and bring them back here in Kamuro Castle?"

"Sure." Yuuto said, "But... I'm curious. A friend of mine has been kidnapped." He then gave Ibuki a photo of the missing girl. She has long blonde hair with a white hair band and she is wearing her red Hakujou Private Academy school uniform. "Her name is Haruka Nogizaka. I'm wondering if her kidnapping has any connection to the Hitmen."

"I'm not sure, Yuuto-san." Ibuki replies, "But, when you do bring in the Hitmen, I'll try asking them. Maybe you can too."

"OK." Yuuto replies, "I'll go for it then... if it means to save Haruka, then I'll fight them and bring them back here alive."

Then, Yuuto noticed a folder on the wooden table. He then asked Ibuki, "Can I take a look at this?"

"Sure." Ibuki replies, "That folder will give you information about the Hitmen last seen around Kamurocho. We constantly update it with new information as it becomes available."

"Thanks." Yuuto replies. Then, he began to read information on the first Hitman named "Batsu the Executioner". This half-shaved man wields a sledge-hammer and loves to slay yakuza gangsters, leaving their blood spilled on the streets. Word is that he has slain over 150 men, some of which were members of a rival family within the Tojo Clan.

Yuuto looks up and says, "I'll find this Batsu and get information on how Haruka is involved in this mess." Then, he leaves Kamuro Castle.

Yuuto was walking along the alley where Kamuro Castle is right up to Pink Street. He then walked north until he reached Taihei Boulevard East. He then turned east and saw a man in a blue suit approach him. He said, "Nice suit, kid. Can I borrow it for a bit?"

"No." Yuuto said bluntly

"Fine!" the man said, "I'll just have to take it off you then!"

Unfortunately, for the man, he has been floored by Yuuto's one-two-three punch, one-two kick and overhead jumping spin kick combo. He covered his face in pain. Yuuto grabbed the man's legs and swung his body around like a merry-go-round at lightning speeds and tossed him down at the pavement.

The man got up and cried in cowardice, "Aah! I'm sorry! I won't bother you anymore! Here, take this! Let me live!"

Yuuto got ¥10,000 from the man. He then rushed east on Taihei Boulevard East until he saw a man with a sledgehammer, ready to pound on a black-suit yakuza gangster. Yuuto inspected the sledgehammer-wielding man closely.

"This must be the Hitman, Batsu..." Yuuto thought

The black-suit gangster cried in cowardice, "Please spare me! I'll do anything!"

"There's nothing you can do for me." The sledgehammer-wielding man said, "I'll just take your life instead!"

"N-No! Please!" the gangster cries

"Hey! What's going on here?" Yuuto cries, butting in

"What?!" the sledgehammer man cries, "Who're you?"

"Are you the Hitman, Batsu?" Yuuto asked the sledgehammer-wielding man

"Yeah. Who's asking?" Batsu replies

Yuuto turned to the scared yakuza gangster and asked, "Are you OK? Are you hurt?"

"N-No!" the scared gangster cried, "I'm OK. I-I gotta get o-out of here!" He then runs off.

Batsu cried, "What the meaning of this?! I wanted that guy's blood to spill on these streets!"

"I think you know why I did that." Yuuto said bluntly,

"No! I don't!" Batsu cried, "And I certainly do not want to know why you stepped in and ruined my perfect execution! Sorry, chum, but you're going to be executed by me!"

Yuuto broke his knuckles and Batsu swung his sledgehammer. Both men don't want to go down without a fight.

Yuuto charged at Batsu with his one-two-three punch, one-two kick and overhead jumping spin kick combo. Batsu took the first punch and blocked the rest of Yuuto's attacks with his sledgehammer.

Batsu screamed as he swung his sledgehammer around him and down. Yuuto had distanced himself away before the attack and picked up a black vacuum flask. Yuuto swung it three times at Batsu, hitting him.

Batsu screams again for the sledgehammer strike only to catch air as Yuuto is away from the attack. Yuuto swung the flask once, hitting Batsu, then... he grabbed Batsu's head and made him chug the contents of the flask down his throat. Yuuto pushes him down, making him drop the sledgehammer.

Batsu crawled to the sledgehammer, got up with it and spat, "What was that for?! You wanna fight dirty, huh?! Then, come after me!"

"Gladly!" Yuuto cried and gave Batsu two punches, then a quick kick. He then tried his hammer hook combo, but... POW! He got hit in the face with the sledgehammer. Yuuto quickly rolled up to evade the sledgehammer slam to the ground.

Yuuto grabbed Batsu, and flipped him down with effort. He propped him up from behind and did the hammer hook combo. Batsu stood tall when taking the hits.

Batsu swung the sledgehammer sideways on both sides and down. Yuuto did the hammer hook-punching combo. Batsu stood tall once again. "Geez! Why won't this guy fall?!" Yuuto thought

Yuuto got close only to feel the metal on his face from the sledgehammer, but he quickly rolled to his feet.

When Batsu finished hitting the hammer down on the ground, Yuuto grabbed him and punched him on the head and gut before he was released. Batsu screamed and swung his sledgehammer again, missing Yuuto by a mile.

Then, Batsu slammed down the sledgehammer, missing Yuuto. Yuuto tried grabbing Batsu, pulling him near a fence and... POW! Yuuto slammed Batsu headfirst onto the fence, forcing him to drop the sledgehammer.

Batsu cried, "Shit..." as he got up and picked up the sledgehammer. Yuuto did two punches, both connecting to Batsu, and dodged left evading Batsu's right sledgehammer swing. Yuuto took a hit from the sledgehammer on Batsu's left swing and ran off as Batsu swung his sledgehammer down.

Yuuto did the one-two-three punch and uppercut combo and all of a sudden, time slowed to a crawl as Batsu kneeled down in tiredness. Just then... Yuuto felt something. A pink aura began to crawl around his body. "What is this...?" he thought, "It's... It's..."

Then, he got into a horse stance and he screamed. Then, he rose up. Yuuto rushed up to Batsu and gave him a knee in the face. Batsu staggered a bit as he backed away. Yuuto then walked up, gripping Batsu's shoulder and... POW! He gave Batsu a headbutt to the face, bringing him down to the floor.

Batsu got up, but he no longer had the strength to wield the sledgehammer anymore. He said sourly, "Ugh... I got beat by a kid!"

Yuuto then said, "I'm not as strong, but I did defeat you. Now, I do have questions."

"Ugh..." Batsu cried, "What do you want from me?"

"One. Why did you join the Hitmen?" Yuuto asks,

"Man... I was one of the best executioners for a yakuza family." Batsu explains, "I've gone and killed over 150 men, execution-style. Some of which are those of a rival family within the Tojo Clan. One day, I was supposed to execute someone. I took the job... only to get caught by the police. I ended up in jail for 15 years."

"15 years, huh?" Yuuto replies,

"I felt my life was ruined, thanks to my killing spree." Batsu continued, "So, that's why I joined the Hitmen."

"I can certainly see why did you join the Hitmen." Yuuto replies then asks, "Now, my second question is... do you know anything about the Nogizaka raid and Haruka's kidnapping?"

"Man... I don't know shit about that." Batsu cries, "All I know is that during one of my killings, I noticed a mansion and thought 'Maybe I can kill someone and take all their money.'"

Yuuto sighs then said, "Fair enough, but because of what you've done just now and in the past, I'm going to have to take you in."

He then pulls out his cell phone and call someone.

A few minutes later, Batsu was taken back to Kamuro Castle. A worker from the Straight Life Association said, "Thank you for bringing back Batsu. Ibuki would like to see you back at Kamuro Castle."

Back at Kamuro Castle, Ibuki began to speak to Yuuto. "Thank you for bringing in Batsu. I know he can be cured from killing people now. It may be a difficult road for him, but it can be done. Here's your reward, Yuuto-san."

Ibuki gave Yuuto ¥50,000 as a reward for capturing Batsu. "The folder is right there, if you're ready to take on another assignment." Ibuki continues.

Yuuto couldn't wait, especially since it may be a sign to find and rescue Haruka Nogizaka. So, he looked in the folder for another Hitman to find. He noticed the large modified Tojo Clan stamp with Yuuto's last name's kanji to indicate that he captured and brought Batsu to Kamuro Castle. Then, he looked at the next Hitman on the docket… a street hoodlum named "Kotaro the Murderer". He read that he's a former street gang member, but he has gone on a murder rampage killing yakuza gangsters and salary men, but… he leaves the scene clean, making it difficult for the police to track him down. He was last seen near Purgatory, which is near West Park.

Yuuto looks up and says, "I'll find this Kotaro. Maybe he has something to do with Haruka's kidnapping." Then, he leaves Kamuro Castle.

Yuuto rushed south on Nakamichi Street to Showa. He noticed a cab and he waved at it. The driver asked, "Where do you want to go? I can take you to either the east end of Park Boulevard or the west end of Shichifuku Street."

Yuuto did not have to think too hard as Kotaro is hiding in the West Park on the east end of Park Boulevard. He quickly said, "Park Boulevard, please."

"OK. Hop in." The cab driver said and he drove Yuuto to the West Park area.

Yuuto paid the ¥660 fare and got off the taxi. Then, he saw an argument brewing between a typical salary man and a street hoodlum.

The street hoodlum was dressed with a pair of jeans and wearing a grey-hooded sweater with the hood covering his head. He said, "Hey! I'm going to kill you right now!"

The salary man in a grey suit whimpered and cried, "P-Please… I d-don't want to die!"

"Shut up!" the hoodlum yelled, "You're one to make a fool out of me!"

Yuuto saw this and thought, "Hmm… this must be the Hitman, Kotaro…"

He walked over and said, "Hey, what's going on here?"

"Huh?! What do you want?" The hoodlum replied, then laughs and says, "You look like a crazy weirdo, kid. Man… Is blue your color, dude?" And he continues laughing.

The salary man saw the distraction as an opportunity. He whimpered, screamed and ran off. The hoodlum cried, "Hey! Wait!" Then, he sighs and said, "Dammit."

Then, he turned to Yuuto. "Now, look what you've done, kid." He said,

"What did I do?" Yuuto asks innocently,

"You distracted me and made me miss my kill! Do you even know how many men that I have murdered?" the hoodlum said,

"N-No." Yuuto replies.

The hoodlum laughs. "Yeah, you have no clue on how I rough up and kill guys, do you?"

Yuuto scratches his head and said, "Geez… How does he kill guys and cover up his evidence?"

The hoodlum laughs again. "I have murdered guys so much that it's never damn boring! I come up with crazy ways to kill people! Knife, stun gun or… just a regular gun. I kill 'em all! And clean up the evidence afterwards! It's as simple as that!"

Then, Yuuto said, "Then you must be the Hitman, Kotaro. Am I right?"

"What?!" the hoodlum cried, "How did you know my name?! Are you psychic or something?!"

"No." Yuuto lied, "It was a lucky guess."

"Man, do you have a death wish or something?" Kotaro asks

Then, there was a moment of silence as both Yuuto and Kotaro stared each other down. The silence is broken when Kotaro cried, "Try and catch me, you punk bitch!" And he ran.

Yuuto cried, "Hey! Wait!" And he chases after him.

Both boys ran laps on the east ends of Park Boulevard and Shichifuku Street East, with Kotaro running west ahead of Yuuto. Yuuto chased down Kotaro, but bumped into a man pushing him back a bit. Then, he kept running. He bumped into someone else heading to the street south to Shichifuku Street East. Then, right back at West Park, Yuuto got behind Kotaro and… POW! Yuuto tackled Kotaro to end the chasing. He then picked him up. Kotaro remained panting.

"Geez…" Kotaro said as he kept panting, "You're one annoying kid, aren't ya?"

"So what if I am?" Yuuto cried,

"Fine. I'll just hit you with my little pet here!" Kotaro cried and took out his taser.

Yuuto found a trash bin and picked it up. Kotaro rushed up… and BZZZ! Yuuto was shocked by the taser and slumped down, dropping the trash bin.

"Aw, crap…" Yuuto thought, "That did NOT feel good."

He got up, shaking off the effects of the shock he received and delivered his hammer hook combo on Kotaro. Kotaro blocked all of Yuuto's punches, but took a bit of damage from the hammer hook. Yuuto grabbed Kotaro and punched his face before Kotaro broke Yuuto's grip and…

POW! BZZZ! While Yuuto's Toraotoshi reversal connected on Kotaro's midsection, which sent him flying across the park, Yuuto got shocked thanks to Kotaro's taser and slumped down. Both boys were down for a minute before they both got up.

"I can certainly reverse this guy's attack, but… how?" Yuuto thought, "The Toraotoshi left us falling down. I can't even block that taser! I wonder…"

Kotaro rushed at Yuuto and… POW! Yuuto reversed Kotaro's thrusting of the taser with the Muay-Thai-like reversal, the Ukenageshi. "That got his attention." Yuuto thought, then he did the one-two-three punch, one-two kick and jumping overhead spin kick combo. Kotaro fell back, but quickly sprung to his feet before Yuuto's spin kick could connect.

Kotaro quickly thrusted the taser forward, but… POW! Yuuto reversed it with the Ukenageshi. This time, Yuuto gave Kotaro a one-two punch and a body blow. Kotaro slowly slumped forward. Yuuto grabbed Kotaro's leg and gave him a kick to the side that rolled him near a barrel.

Kotaro got up. Yuuto delivered a quick kick on his midsection and then… Kotaro slumped down, kneeling. Then, time slowed to a crawl.

Then, the pink aura flowed around his body. Yuuto thought as he looked at it, "What?! It's coming back… I… I feel… stronger…"

Then, he got into a horse stance… and screamed. Then, he rose up.

Yuuto rushed up to Kotaro and gave him a knee to the face. Kotaro staggered a bit as he backed away. Yuuto then walked up, gripping Kotaro's shoulder and… POW! He gave Kotaro a headbutt in the face, bringing him down to the floor.

Kotaro got up, but he couldn't fight anymore. "Shit…" he said, "You are strong, kid. I guess I underestimated you."

"I'm going to ask you some stuff." Yuuto said, "First off, why did you join the Hitmen?"

"I was a former member of a street gang called 'White Edge'. I hated the yakuza, but my gang didn't share my vision." Kotaro said, "So, I left the gang. And I went on a murder spree. I killed yakuza and salary men, and left no trace in my killings."

"Interesting." Yuuto said, "Now, do you know a thing about the Nogizaka raid and Haruka's kidnapping?"

"Nope." Kotaro answers, "Only thing I know is that there's a yakuza-looking guy, but his security is tight, man! It's like he has the goddamn Secret Service at his whim, dude!"

"Hmm… It's at least something." Yuuto said, "Regardless, I'm going to take you in." He pulls out his cell phone and calls someone.

A few minutes later, Kotaro was taken back to Kamuro Castle. A worker from the Straight Life Association said, "Thank you for bringing back Kotaro. Ibuki would like to see you back at Kamuro Castle."

Back at Kamuro Castle, Ibuki began to speak to Yuuto. "Thank you for bringing in Kotaro. I know he can be cured from killing people now. It may be a difficult road for that street hoodlum, but it can be done. I don't think he'll be joining another gang or go on a murder spree anytime soon. Here's your reward, Yuuto-san."

Ibuki gave Yuuto ¥70,000 as a reward for capturing Kotaro. Yuuto looked in the folder for yet another Hitman to find. The stamp is marked on both Batsu's & Kotaro's file. Then, he looked at the next Hitman on the docket… a homeless man who had the name of "Rags Hatsuani". He had a family, but his wife was killed by yakuza gangsters. He now has a son, and is always on the move. He is last seen in a park in Kamurocho.

Yuuto looks up and says, "I'll find this Hatsuani. Hopefully, I can heal him and get details on Haruka." Then, he leaves Kamuro Castle.

Yuuto walked along the alleyway west, crossing Nakamichi Street. He walked across an open park and noticed a raggedy old man with long hair and a beard talking to his young son, who is wearing jeans and a black jacket.

"Hey, dad!" the son said, "You're the coolest dad in the world! Can we go bowling later?"

"Sure, son." The father replied happily, "We can go right now, actually."

"Awesome!" the son cried out

Yuuto saw this and thought, "This must be Rags Hatsuani, another Hitman."

Yuuto walks over and said to the father, "Excuse me, but are you the Hitman they call, Rags Hatsuani?"

"Yes, I am." The father replied, "Do you need anything?"

"Dad?" the son asks, "What's going on? Why is this kid here?"

"Go play for a bit." Hatsuani said, "The two of us are going to talk for a bit."

The son left to play around in the park. "So, what do you want?" Hatsuani asks,

"First off, why did you join the Hitmen?" Yuuto asks

"You can tell by my clothes, right?" Hatsuani responds, "The three of us were one happy family. We did things together and we made ends meet. One day, a bunch of yakuza burst into my home, demanding protection money. These goddamn thugs ravaged our house..." he began to sniffle, "...and killed my wife."

Yuuto felt bad for this man. "I moved out of our family home. My son and I are left homeless." Hatsuani continued, fighting back tears. "The least I could do is to cope with my wife's death."

Yuuto began to speak. "Hey, listen..."

"I don't need your condolences!" Hatsuani interrupted angrily, "I hated the yakuza, which is why I joined the Hitmen! I needed support for the both of us!"

"Look at you!" he cried, pointing at Yuuto, "You're even dressed like a yakuza!"

"I'm not a..." Yuuto cries out,

"Don't start with me, you fucking asshole!" Hatsuani yells, "I'll fucking kill you!"

Both men got into their fighting stances. Hatsuani swayed forward and launches a kick, but... POW! Yuuto caught Hatsuani with a Toraotoshi reversal, which sends him flying, but he quickly landed on his feet.

Hatsuani did a wheel kick, only... POW! To be reversed again by Yuuto's Toraotoshi, but quickly regained his footing. Yuuto poked Hatsuani with three quick kicks.

Hatsuani launched a kick, only... POW! To be reversed by the Toraotoshi, but this time, he bounced off the fence and slumped down. "Why am I not being challenged by this guy?" Yuuto thought

Hatsuani got up and launched a kick to be reversed by the Toraotoshi... and he slumps down as time slowed to a crawl.

The pink glow appeared in Yuuto's body yet again. "Huh...?!" Yuuto thought, "It... It's happening again... Am I... getting stronger...?"

Then he got into a horse stance and screamed. Then, he rose up.

Yuuto rushed up to Hatsuani and gave him a knee to the face. Hatsuani staggered as he backed away. Yuuto then walked up to Hatsuani, gripping his shoulder and... POW! The big headbutt in the face brought Hatsuani down and out.

Hatsuani groans as he got up. "Goddamn... it..."

"Dad!" Hatsuani's son cries as he ran up to him. "Are you OK?"

He turned to Yuuto. "What did you do to my dad?!" he yells

Hatsuani laughs and says, "It's OK, son."

"What?" the son replies, "What do you mean?"

A few minutes later, Hatsuani says, "That was my son... Good guy, isn't he? I love him a lot."

"Yes." Yuuto agrees, "I had another question. Were you involved in the Nogizaka raid and Haruka's kidnapping?"

"No, I wasn't." Hatsuani answers, "But, during the time, we were homeless, I did see that family and how kind they are. I wished that we can be like the Nogizakas, and like we were before my wife's death."

"I see." Yuuto said, and placed his right hand on his chin.

Then, he began to speak. "I do know a place that you can go to, in order to rebuild your life."

"What do you mean?" Hatsuani asks

"There's a group called the 'Straight Life Association'." Yuuto says, "They look over people whose lives have been ruined because they either got mixed up in or were involved in the life of crime. I'm sure these people will restore your life you and your son once had before your wife died."

"Really?" Hatsuani asks

"Yes." Yuuto replies, "In fact, let me make the phone call." And he gets out his cell phone and calls someone.

A few minutes later, Hatsuani was taken to Kamuro Castle. A worker from the Straight Life Association said, "Thank you for bringing in Hatsuani. Ibuki would like to see you back at Kamuro Castle."

Back at Kamuro Castle, Ibuki began to speak to Yuuto. "Thank you for bringing in Hatsuani. I feel bad for those two, him and his son. It must feel awful going to a normal family to lose a parent, due to yakuza activity. But, I'm sure those two will eventually pick up and live a normal life again. Here's your reward, Yuuto-san."

Ibuki gave Yuuto ¥80,000 as a reward for capturing Hatsuani. Yuuto looked in the folder for yet another Hitman to find. The stamp is marked on the files of all the three Hitmen that Yuuto brought in so far, which are Batsu, Kotaro & Hatsuani. Then, he looked at the next Hitman on the docket… One man who's half of the Hitman team called "The Oda Killers". Both carry firearms and are masters of disguise. They were last seen in a bowling alley.

Yuuto looks up and says, "I'll find these Oda Killers. Hopefully, I can get details on Haruka from this couple." Then, he leaves Kamuro Castle.

Yuuto ran west to Tenkaichi Street through the alleyway connecting Nakamichi Street. He looked at the map he brought with him. There's a bowling alley in Kamurocho called "Mach Bowl". It is located in an alley area behind Theatre Square. He ran north to Taihei Boulevard West. Then, he ran west on Taihei and then north around the alley area near Theatre Square. Then, he entered "Mach Bowl".

He walked along the little lobby area. He then notices a couple. "A couple?" Yuuto said to himself, noticing a man in a brown suit talking to a woman in a blue overall jacket and a matching straw hat, carrying a black bag. "What's going on here?"

The couple walked off in opposite directions. "Hmm..." Yuuto thought as he hid behind a pillar from their vision. "Who should I follow?"

He then weighed his options. The husband looks normal, despite his picture showing up on the Straight Life Association's Hitman database. On the other hand, the wife looked very odd, and not only that, she is married to a Hitman. Then, he said silently, "I'll follow the wife."

Then, he hid behind another pillar and noticed the wife go inside the bathroom. "OK..." Yuuto thought, "All I can do now is wait and see."

Yuuto pulled out the Innocent Smile magazine he had in his possession and read a chapter on "Clumsy Akichan". He sighs as he read through it. If Haruka Nogizaka was with him right now, he would be happy. He also knows that he has to go to Okinawa soon to fix the issue that the mangaka, Miyuki Aragaki, has with her father on her career.

Then, Yuuto looks up... and out came a guy in a black suit. But, he's carrying the same black bag that the wife had! "What?! The wife is a guy?! How is that possible? I gotta talk to him." He thought

He places the Innocent Smile magazine back in his dark blue suit and walks over to where the black suit man is. "Hey." He said, "What's going on here?"

"Huh?" the man said, "What do you want? Did you peek in the washroom?"

"No." Yuuto said, "I did not. You really are a wife of a Hitman?"

"N-No." The man lied, "I have no idea what are you talking about. What do you mean?"

"Don't lie." Yuuto said, bluntly, "I saw you talking to your 'husband' who's a Hitman."

"Hey, honey! What's going on?" the husband cried, then he saw Yuuto. "Huh?! What's this? What's going on here?"

"N-Nothing!" the 'wife' cried, "Actually... Eyaagh! We've been caught! What do we do?"

The husband cried, "Let's shoot this guy up, then!"

"What?!" Yuuto cried and he saw the 'wife' taking out a .45-caliber pistol and the husband pulling out a shotgun.

Yuuto thought, "So... these must be the Oda Killers, Mr. & Mrs. Oda. I've got to unarm them somehow."

Thankfully, Mr. Oda was close by. He was about to take a shot at Yuuto, and... BOOM! The shotgun shells missed Yuuto! Yuuto was at the side, lowering the chamber and knocked the shotgun out of Mr. Oda's arms with a knee. Then... POW! Yuuto popped him a boot to the face, dropping him face-down.

"Crap!" Mr. Oda cried as he grabbed the shotgun and got up. Mrs. Oda took his shots, missing Yuuto by a hair. Mr. Oda blocked Yuuto's one-two punch, but was dropped by the body-and-knee blow.

"Ugh..." Mr. Oda cried as he got up.

"This guy is lethal with the shotgun." Yuuto thought, "I have to take him down and fast."

Mr. Oda took a shot, but missed due to Yuuto's quick dodging. Yuuto grabbed Mr. Oda by the collar and pushed him away with a long kick that sent Mr. Oda flying to the bowling ball machines. Mrs. Oda took his shots from his pistol, but Yuuto reacted quickly and rolled away, evading the bullets.

Mr. Oda got up and crouched as he aimed... and... POW! The shells nearly grazed Yuuto's pants as he quickly dodged them. Yuuto took the opportunity to do a one-two-three punch. Mr. Oda took the first hit, and guarded the rest. But, he let his guard down when Yuuto gave him an uppercut. That punch made Mr. Oda flip to the floor, face-up.

"Come on!" Mrs. Oda cries from where the bowling pins are, "Fight fair!"

Yuuto gave Mr. Oda a stomp and yells back, "You guys have guns! How is that fair?!"

Mr. Oda got up, but didn't see a punch coming from Yuuto, so he took it... then time slowed to a crawl as he crouched down.

"It... It's back..." Yuuto thought as the pink aura came crawling around his skin. Then, he got into a horse stance and screamed. Then, he rose up.

Yuuto rushed up to Mr. Oda and gave him a knee to the face. Mr. Oda staggered a bit as he backed away. Yuuto walked over, gripped Mr. Oda's shoulder and... POW! Yuuto gave Mr. Oda a huge headache with the headbutt.

"That takes care of the hubby." Yuuto thought, "Now, I have to go after the Missus."

He picked up the shotgun and ran to Mrs. Oda, rolling forward to evade the pistol shots. Then, he used the shotgun to shoot Mrs. Oda. But, he was still standing! Yuuto thought as he kept shooting, "Does this guy have bulletproof armour or something?! I can't knock him down!"

Then, when the shells ran out, Yuuto kicked Mrs. Oda and hit him more using the butt of the shotgun. "Stupid thing!" Yuuto thought, "It's useless!"

Then, he threw the shotgun at Mrs. Oda just as he got up, hitting him. Mrs. Oda was about to take more shots at Yuuto, until... Yuuto grabbed Mrs. Oda's pistol-equipped right arm with his left, gave him a slap in the face, dragged him forward and gave him a palm to the face to bring him down... and out.

Yuuto dragged him and Mr. Oda back to the lobby. They eventually got up, now unarmed. "Now explain to me what the hell this is all about!" Yuuto cries,

"You see," Mrs. Oda explains, "We're contract killers and we got hired by the Hitmen for our excellent experience."

"Yeah. And a shitload of cash to add!" Mr. Oda backed up

"And the Nogizaka raid?" Yuuto continues?

"During one of our assignments, when we were in disguise as you noticed by my partner here," Mr. Oda says, "We came across the Nogizakas, and saw how happy of a family they are."

"Yeah." Mrs. Oda agrees, "We thought that they needed a gift from us to them. So... we sent them flowers!"

"Flowers?" Yuuto replies,

"Yeah. Tulips that were handpicked by us." Mrs. Oda said, "Their daughters wanted the tulips, but their horrid father rejected them! He tossed them in our face! We hated the guy ever since!"

"Hmm..." Yuuto said out loud, "I can certainly see why he disliked you both. I'm sure the mother and the maids can open up to you, gentlemen."

The Odas smiled for a bit. Yuuto then said, "I'm going to take you both in. I'll make sure the Nogizakas will treat you more kindly next time." Then, he pulls out his cell phone and makes the call.

A few minutes later, the Oda Killers were taken to Kamuro Castle. A worker from the Straight Life Association said, "Thank you for bringing in the Oda Killers. Ibuki would like to see you back at Kamuro Castle."

Back at Kamuro Castle, Ibuki began to speak to Yuuto. "Thank you for bringing in the Oda Killers. I feel bad for those two, now that you've told me about their incident with the Nogizakas. I'm pretty sure that they can settle this matter with the help from us and you. Here's your reward, Yuuto-san."

Ibuki gave Yuuto ¥90,000 as a reward for capturing the Oda Killers. Yuuto looked in the folder for yet another Hitman to find. The stamp is marked on the files of all the four Hitmen that Yuuto brought in so far, which are Batsu, Kotaro, Hatsuani & the Oda Killers. Then, he looked at the next Hitman on the docket… The sniper assassin people refer to as "Eagle-Eye Shuu". A very well-docketed sniper who kills yakuza gangsters at quick speeds and a good eye. He was last seen at a tall building.

Yuuto looks up and says, "I'll find this Shuu. Hopefully, I can get details on Haruka from this guy." Then, he leaves Kamuro Castle.

Yuuto walked along Nakamichi Street to get clues to find the Hitman known as "Eagle-Eye Shuu". Then, at the entrance to the garden at the Millennium Tower, he noticed a man in typical jeans wearing a white jacket. He was also playing a guitar, an acoustic one at that.

Yuuto noticed people dropping by and putting money in the guitar case. He decided to drop ¥1,000 note in it. "Thank you kindly, sir." Someone responded

Yuuto looked down. The man playing the guitar was the one speaking. He had red hair and his facial features are that of a typical Japanese person, with blue eyes to match. "You never see a kid around here, dressed up like a salary man or even a yakuza."

"Oh, thank you." Yuuto replies, "I'm flattered."

He then introduced himself. "My name is Yuuto Ayase. What's yours?"

"Call me Hideki." The busker replied,

"Nice to meet you." Yuuto replies and they both shook hands. Then, he said, "That was a nice tune there. I have friends who play instruments, too."

"Really?" Hideki replies, "I would like to meet them someday."

"You should." Yuuto replies then asks, "Do you know where to find a guy known as "Eagle-Eye Shuu"?"

"Hmm..." Hideki began to ponder, "I did remember the guy watching the skies from a tower."

"Hmm..." Yuuto thought and looks up at the tall tower behind Hideki. "He must mean the Millennium Tower. This must be it."

"OK." Yuuto said, "Thank you very much, Hideki." And he runs off to the doors of the Millennium Tower.

"You're welcome." Hideki replied and then he flashed an evil grin...

Yuuto was about to walk inside until he heard, "Police only. Members of organized crime groups are not allowed inside."

Yuuto saw a police officer behind him. He tries to explain, "But, I'm not a..."

"Don't make me take you in, sir." The officer replies, showing the handcuffs. Yuuto sighs and leaves.

Yuuto thought as he walked south on Nakamichi Street, "I don't understand. Why are people taking me as if I'm a yakuza? I'm just a kid. I'm nowhere near as old to be a yakuza. In any case, I better get back to Kamuro Castle." And he ran through the alley where Club Sega is, back to Kamuro Castle.

He went inside and decided to speak to the clerk. "Listen." He started, "I need to get inside the Millennium Tower."

"Oh, sure thing." The worker said, then asks, "Are you all set?"

"Yes, I am." Yuuto replies

"OK." The worker said, "Let's head on over."

Yuuto found himself standing right on the roof of the Millennium Tower, overlooking the city from a far distance. Sure enough, he saw a man. He has a head whose hair was half-shaved and wears a black suit with sunglasses. He looked down and depressed.

"Hey." Yuuto asks, "What's wrong?"

"Just leave me alone." The man replies, "I don't need to hear preaching from you."

"Your name is Shuu, right?" Yuuto said, "The one they call "Eagle-Eye Shuu"?"

"Yeah. So?" Shuu replies, "What do you want from me?"

"For one thing, I want to know what is up with you." Yuuto replies, "You look all down and depressed."

"Yeah." Shuu replies, "I've been deep in debt ever since I came to Tokyo from Nagoya. I've turned to assassination ever since... I've trained on a daily basis to snipe at my targets. Every day, I would go after less than important targets like salary men until I perfected my art... And man... soon after that, my debt was cleared faster than a bullet could pierce a guy's body."

"Huh-uh." Yuuto said, "I can see why you're a real asset to the Hitmen."

Shuu walks away for a bit. "But, I'm still not satisfied. I have killed patriarchs of yakuza families in Tokyo that... I have not killed someone as important as the prime minister! Let alone someone who's a very rich and powerful ordinary man!"

"What are you getting at?" Yuuto asks

"Seems like I missed a target at the Nogizaka raid... You." Shuu replies. He turns to Yuuto and yells, "It's time that I put shells into your skull!"

Yuuto gasps and quickly gets into his fighting stance. Shuu took out his shotgun and... POW! Yuuto reacted quickly and rolled towards Shuu whilst evading the shotgun shells. Yuuto then tried to do the 3-punch-and-hammer hook combo. Shuu blocked all punches, but the hammer hook as he took a scratch from it.

Shuu pumped his shotgun and fired again. Yuuto rolled on the ground again to evade the shots. Yuuto did a jab, underhook and uppercut. Shuu was knocked down by the underhook, but quickly regained his stance.

Shuu crouched and took a shot. It missed Yuuto as he swayed to the right and gave Shuu a punch. "Come on!" Shuu cried, "Hold still!"

Before Shuu could react, he was hit by 2 punches and a body-and-knee blow from Yuuto. Yuuto grabbed Shuu's left leg, but Shuu kicked Yuuto's hand forcing him to let go.

Yuuto repeated the jab-underhook-uppercut combo attack a few times. Some of them connected, but brought Shuu up on his feet quickly. Other times... he blocked, but the uppercut broke his guard for a split-second.

Yuuto tried grabbing Shuu by the collar and gave him a punch to the face and a punch in the gut before Shuu broke loose. Yuuto repeated this pattern of attack a few times, remembering to dodge the shells that Shuu fired from his shotgun and popping an extra hit in the face.

"You're one annoying moving target, are you?" Shuu cries

Yuuto continued to grab Shuu and pop a couple of strikes before his grip became loose. Yuuto continued to dodge shells that Shuu fired from his shotgun and smack Shuu in the face, using a technique Ruko taught him after she read about Komaki. That technique is called the Sabakiuchi, or the Punishing Strike.

"All right, then..." Shuu cries, "Eat this!"

And just before he could fire, Yuuto grabbed the chamber and stepped out of the way. Shuu fired the shotgun, missing Yuuto, and Yuuto lowered the chamber. Then, Yuuto gave a knee, knocking Shuu's shotgun out of his arms, and... POW! Yuuto gave him a boot to the face, knocking him down.

"My sister taught me that move." Yuuto said, "Unfortunately, we used toy guns for our training."

"Ugh... Now, I get it." Shuu said as he got up. Then, Yuuto gave a quick jab, which made Shuu kneel down in tiredness. Yuuto felt the pink energy coming back to him. "Huh?" he thought, "It's... coming back again... I... I feel... stronger!"

Then he got into a horse stance and screamed. Then, he rose up.

Yuuto rushes to Shuu and gave him a knee to the face. Shuu staggered a bit as he backed away. Then, Yuuto walked up to Shuu, grabbed his shoulder and... POW! He gave Shuu a headbutt which made him go down and out.

Shuu slowly, but surely, got up. But, he didn't have the strength to fight anymore. "You..." he began to speak, "You know something about... the Nogizaka raid, do you?"

"So far, nothing." Yuuto replies, "But I've heard that some Hitmen have been going after them, am I right?"

"Yeah..." Shuu said, "I was one of them. I was ordered to kill the head of the Nogizaka Family."

"Who is it?" Yuuto asks

"I just wish I had seen his face," Shuu replies, "But, all I know is that I was hiding quietly in the bushes, waiting for my target to be in my sights. Unfortunately, before I could spot my target, someone blocked my vision and... sliced my sniper rifle's chamber. Thankfully, I escaped before I was being followed."

"Hmm..." Yuuto thought, "It must be one of the maids who accidentally prevented the assassination attempt. I shouldn't provoke any suspicious behaviour with the Nogizaka maids until I speak with the Nogizakas first."

"In any case," Yuuto then said, "I thank you for the information, but I'll have to take you in. I can't let you go at another assassination attempt like that, especially one against the Nogizakas." Then, he picked up his cell phone and calls someone...

A few minutes later, Shuu was taken to Kamuro Castle. A worker from the Straight Life Association said, "Thank you for bringing in Shuu. Ibuki would like to see you back at Kamuro Castle."

They both go to leave the Millennium Tower's roof, but all of a sudden, Yuuto heard soft moaning. "Huh?" he thought, "Could it be Haruka?"

But, then he thought, "It's probably a ghost. I should go." And he walks off.

Back at Kamuro Castle, Ibuki began to speak to Yuuto. "Thank you for bringing in Shuu. Something tells me that the Hitmen aren't going to go quietly until they get what they came for. We both don't know what it is, but rest assured... with each Hitman captured, we can put the pieces together. Here's your reward, Yuuto-san."

Ibuki gave Yuuto ¥90,000 as a reward for capturing Shuu. Yuuto looked in the folder for yet another Hitman to find... but there's nothing that isn't marked by the "Ayase Family" stamp, that represents the Hitmen that Yuuto captured and brought back to Kamuro Castle. So far, the stamp is marked on the files of all the four Hitmen that Yuuto brought in so far, which are Batsu, Kotaro, Hatsuani, the Oda Killers and now Shuu.

Ibuki said, "Why don't you take a rest, Yuuto? You've had quite a long day. But the case is slowly developing with your help."

"OK, sure." Yuuto replies, and leaves Kamuro Castle to go back to the Hotel District... and back to his hotel room where he slept for the night.


	5. Dragon & Cross

Chapter 5: Dragon & Cross

Yuuto got up and changed into his Hakujou Private Academy uniform, which are his blue suit-like shirt, red tie and black pants. Once he got outside, he called the Nogizaka Family. "Hello?" a man answers,

"Gentou-san, it's Yuuto." Yuuto began to speak.

"Yes?" Gentou replies, "What is it?"

"I think I have found something on Haruka's kidnapping." Yuuto said, then he asks, "Do you know about the Hitmen?"

"No." Gentou said, "Why would I?"

"It seems that you're their prime target for something." Yuuto said, "What is it?"

"I don't know." Gentou said, "But I did remember seeing strange people come in to the Nogizaka home. All I did was shove them off. I wasn't sure then that they were a threat to my daughters."

"OK." Yuuto said, "If you have more information to tell me, don't you hesitate to call me. I'll ask you again sometime soon."

"OK." Gentou replies, "Thank you for letting me know about this."

They both hang up. Yuuto ran south to Shichifuku Street West, but stopped for a bit. He looked at the sky and remembered something about an incident at school in which Haruka's obsession of manga and anime was nearly exposed. day at school, a guy bumps into Haruka which causes her bag to go flying which also exposes the Comiket catalogue she had. Yuuto manages to make everyone believe the catalogue is actually his and Haruka only picked it up, though after this Haruka does not come to school for three days. He goes to see her where he finds out from Haruka's sister, Mika how her secret was exposed during middle school and she had to transfer schools due to being isolated from her peers. Yuuto assures her that he will never leave her which relieves her so much that the next day she affirms after a short conflict that the catalogue is actually hers.

This moment made Yuuto smile for a bit, but that went away when he heard "Hey! Check out this tattoo I got!"

It was a big burly man talking to his young friend. He showed him a tattoo of a heart and skull. "Dude." The young friend said, "It's amazing! But... I don't think it's amazing than the ones that a tattoo artist made."

"Huh?" the burly man cried out, "What do you mean by this?"

"Look." The young friend said, "I heard that his tattoos are amazing! The one they call "The Dragon of Dojima" got his awesome dragon tattoo from this cool tattoo artist... I heard his name is... Utabori."

"Utabori, huh?" the burly man said, "Where can I get one made?"

"I don't know if he makes dragons anymore." His young friend replied, "But, I'm pretty sure he is open to anyone who has a design in mind. I heard he resides in the Ryuujin Building between Senryo Avenue and Pink Street."

"Cool." The big burly man said, "But... do you think he charges a crazy rate to make tattoos?"

"I believe so." The young friend replies, "I mean... I heard a back tattoo costs a crazy amount of ¥500,000!"

"Man!" The big burly man said, "I wish I had that much money!" He then sighs.

"The Ryuujin Building, huh?" Yuuto thought, "Maybe I can go there and see what's in store."

Then, Yuuto ran east to Senryo Avenue. He ran south until he found an alleyway close to Showa Street. On the front door, he found the gold kanji which reads "Ryuujinkaikan".

"This must be it." Yuuto thought, "The Ryuujin Building..." And he steps inside.

As Yuuto walked inside, he noticed an old man wearing a blue robe. "Good morning." Yuuto said as he bowed, "Are you the one they call Utabori?"

"Yes, I am." The old man replies, "What do you need?"

"I would like a tattoo made by you." Yuuto answers, somewhat nervously

"What kind of design?" Utabori asks

Yuuto struggled to answer. He knows that Utabori may not have done dragons anymore, since the one they call "The Dragon of Doujima" did his work with him a long time ago... so he believes. "I would like a dragon design." He shouts out, but covers his mouth.

Utabori then looked at Yuuto and said, "A dragon design... I haven't done one since I inked Kazuma Kiryuu's back with the dragon. But... you seem desperate... to gain strength."

Yuuto then showed a picture of Haruka Nogizaka to Utabori. Yuuto then explained, "She was kidnapped a few days ago. I wanted something to remember her by... if... she gets... killed."

"Hmm..." Utabori said as he observed the picture, "I see. You long for this girl, and you're out to save her life. I have been watching for you for some time."

"You have?" Yuuto said,

"You have quite the strength for a young man." Utabori said, "And I was surprised to see it born in a school student like yourself. So... I already came up a design for you."

He went and got out a scroll to represent the design. He then showed it to Yuuto. "This design is... The Angelic Dragon." Utabori said, showing Yuuto a blue Chinese dragon swirling around a Christian cross. Utabori then said, "I needed the angel part of the design. Your girl seems to have a pure heart... much like yours. So... your photo completes the design."

Then, Utabori asks, "Would you like to get your tattoo done today?"

"Yes, please." Yuuto responds

Utabori then made the dragon and cross on Yuuto's back. As he did, he began to speak. "It's been 12 years ago that "The Dragon of Dojima", Kazuma Kiryu, got his back inked by me... and so is his good friend, Akira Nishiki, when he got the carp on his back. A tattoo is... greatly influenced by the person who has it. The carp on Nishiki's back, at the time, must be quite shining vigorously with colour these days. ...With it, he was a challenge to Kiryu, maybe his equal."

He then said, "The carp in the Yellow River swims upstream, passes the mountain range, and finally reaches the caverns of Longmen, where it'll be reborn as a dragon. Nishiki... was about to reach Longmen. But, before becoming a dragon, he'll need to confront an adversary, an adversary such as Kiryu. But Kiryu prevent Nishiki from reaching Longmen to take his rightful place as a dragon."

A few hours later, Yuuto had the preliminary design of the tattoo finished. He found a mirror near the Ryuujin Building and took a look as his shirt was off. "Wow..." Yuuto thought as he looked at his back, "It looks just like Kiryu's dragon tattoo."

He then quickly put his blue uniform shirt on. "OK." Yuuto thought, "I better go back to Kamuro Castle and see if there are more Hitmen for me to capture and bring over."

And Yuuto ran west on the little alleyway connecting Nakamichi and Pink Streets and south right on the middle on the intersection crossing the alleyway to Taihei Boulevard. Then, he ran south east right into the entrance to Kamuro Castle. Then, he went inside.

Yuuto bowed to Ibuki upon entering. "Good afternoon." He said politely.

"Good afternoon, Yuuto-san." Ibuki replied, "I see you're well rested, so… whenever you're ready to go after more Hitmen, the folder is there waiting for you."

"OK." Yuuto said, and he picked up the folder and looked for more Hitmen to capture and bring in. He noticed the "Ayase Family" stamp marked on all of the 5 Hitmen he has captured so far: Batsu, Kotaro, Hatsuani, the Oda Killers and Shuu. He found an entry that did not have a stamp. It's on a Hitman named "Kurenai of the Silver Bullet". According to the information, he invites people for drinks and then… he goes on to slay them. Most yakuza gangsters are tricked by his manoeuvres and end up getting killed. He was last seen near a bowling alley.

Yuuto then said, "I'll find this Kurenai. Maybe he has something to do with Haruka…" And then, he left Kamuro Castle.

Yuuto went back to the alley where Mach Bowl was via the alley going to Taihei Boulevard and Taihei Boulevard itself. He then saw a white suit, bald man standing near Mach Bowl.

"Hey!" the man said to Yuuto in a cheerful tone, "How are you?"

Yuuto responded, somewhat creeped out, "Um… OK."

"It must be rare, to spot someone wearing a school uniform around these parts." The man replied, "Especially one from the Hakujou Private Academy!"

"Err… Thanks." Yuuto said, then laughs nervously

"Come with me." The man replies, "I would like to ask you some stuff over a drink."

"Are you sure?" Yuuto replies, "I'm too young to drink."

The man laughs, "Don't be a sore spot. It'll be on me! Come with me!"

Yuuto weighed his options a bit. He did remember something about Kurenai asking guys out to drinks… only to kill them later. But, he did want to find out information about Haruka Nogizaka from Kurenai… if the man leading him on is in fact Kurenai…

He gave in and said, "OK." Both men walked on…

…only for Yuuto to discover that he was tricked. He was led to the Children's Park in Shichifuku Street West, where five of the white suit man's underlings awaited. "Ha ha!" he said, "You fell for it!"

"What?" Yuuto cried, "What's the meaning of this?"

"You have no idea who I am, don't you?" the white suit man said, "I'm the Hitman they call, "Kurenai of the Silver Bullet"!"

"Man! I should have known!" Yuuto thought, "But… maybe he may lead me to Haruka."

"I suppose you're here for who they call the "Nuit Ètoile", huh?" Kurenai cried

"Haruka?" Yuuto cried, "What have you done to her?"

"Oh, you'll see her soon…" Kurenai said, "But in the skies of heaven!"

Then, he yelled, "Come on, boys! Who wants a cold one?"

All 6 pulled out their pistols. "How am I going to beat these morons with guns?" Yuuto thought, but he quickly thought of something…

Yuuto zipped right behind an underling with a brown sweatshirt and… POW! Yuuto slapped him from behind. Then, he zipped to the brown sweater-wearing underling and pounded him with 2 punches. Then, he zipped to a toque-wearing underling and smashed him with a punch. Then, he grabbed a black-and-white sweatshirt-wearing fat underling's left hand, slapped it down and when he was crouching… POW! Yuuto slapped the fat underling's face that sent him flying. All four men could not get up anymore.

"That takes care of most of them." Yuuto thought, "But, I don't like shooting people with guns. But… I have no choice."

He picked up a pistol and shot the purple sweater-wearing underling. He then wasted the remaining bullets on Kurenai. Yuuto sighs after the chamber was empty, and said to himself, "This guy must have a bulletproof vest or something!"

Before Kurenai took his shots, Yuuto threw the empty gun at him, hitting him. Yuuto picked up another gun from one of his fallen opponents and began shooting at Kurenai. Then, Kurenai kneeled as time slowed to a crawl.

Then, Yuuto felt something as a pinkish aura flowed in his body. "It's… coming… back." He thought, but then he noticed feathers. "What…? Feathers… of an angel…? Am I… feeling… more power…?" He screamed as he got into a horse stance, then he rose up.

Yuuto rushed to Kurenai and gave him a knee to the face. Kurenai staggered as he moved back. Yuuto walked up to Kurenai, gripped his shoulder and… POW! Yuuto finished Kurenai with a harsh headbutt that dropped him to the floor.

Kurenai got up, looking at a fuming Yuuto. "Whoa, there, buddy." He said

Yuuto angrily gripped Kurenai's collar. "What did you do with Haruka? Answer me!" He shouted

"N-Nothing, man!" Kurenai answered in cowardice, "All I know is that I was contacted to scout your school for potential targets to kidnap!"

"So… you had nothing to do with Haruka?" Yuuto asks

"No!" Kurenai answers, "I'm nothing more than a catch to lure unsuspecting school boys and girls to kidnap and/or kill."

Yuuto thought, "A catch, huh? Just like the guy who taught me the Ukenageshi reversal."

He then lets Kurenai go. "OK." Yuuto said, after he calmed down, "I'm going to take you in now." And he took out his cell phone to call someone.

A few minutes later, Kurenai was taken to Kamuro Castle. A worker from the Straight Life Association said, "Thank you for bringing in Kurenai. Ibuki would like to see you back at Kamuro Castle."

Back at Kamuro Castle, Ibuki began to speak to Yuuto. "Thank you for bringing in Kurenai. Judging by what you told me, it seems that he's not just after yakuza, but young relatives of yakuza, too. Well… he won't be luring anymore people to death anytime soon. Here's your reward, Yuuto-san."

Ibuki gave Yuuto ¥100,000 as a reward for capturing Kurenai. Yuuto looked in the folder for another Hitman to find. The stamp is marked on the files of all the five Hitmen that Yuuto brought in so far. Kurenai was the new entry to that category. Then, he looked at the next Hitman on the docket… The kidnapping Hitman known as "Zen the Black Hyena". He runs around looking for potential targets to kidnap and/or kill, but unlike Kurenai, he takes a more direct approach. He was last seen somewhere in Park Boulevard.

Yuuto looks up and says, "I'll find this Zen. Maybe he has something to do with Haruka, since Kurenai gave me some excellent information." Then, he leaves Kamuro Castle.

Yuuto ran north on Nakamichi Street, then ran east on Taihei Boulevard until he reached Pink Street. Then, he ran north on Shichifuku Street East. Then, he ran north on a street next to a parking lot up to Park Boulevard.

Then, Yuuto noticed three men outside a home, west of where he is. He walked up to them and said, "Hey, have you guys seen Zen?"

"Huh? What do you want?" the white-suit man asked,

"I said I need to see Zen." Yuuto said,

Then, the middle-weight silver suit man said, "W-Why? What do you want from him?"

"I want to know where he is... and what he's up to." Yuuto replies

"Hey!" the fat silver suit man said, "Go inside and watch over Zen!"

"OK!" the white-suit man replied

"Are you ready to die, kid?" the middle-weight man yells

"We're going to make mincemeat out of your sorry ass!" the fat man yells

Yuuto got into his fighting stance, and then he rushed at the middle-weight man and did his 3-punch-2-kick-and-overhead-jumping-spin-kick combo on him. All the strikes connected, leaving squirming on the cement floor. Yuuto grabbed the man's leg and threw him down, flapjack-style. And Yuuto defeated him with the leg grab and flapjack throw.

Both times, the throws hit the fat man. Yuuto did his 3-punch-and-hammer-hook combo. The first two jabs hit the fat man, but he blocked the rest, only taking minor damage from the hammer hook. Yuuto quickly dodged and hit the fat man with a 2-punch-and-body-and-knee combo.

And he brought the fat guy down with 2 more punches and a body blow.

"D-Damn!" the fat guy cried

"I guess Zen is inside." Yuuto said to himself and walked in the home.

Yuuto walked inside... and found 6 men in the living room. One of them had a somewhat puffy hair and wore a black striped suit. "That must be Zen..." Yuuto thought. But, he found something that shocked him and made him gasp... On the corner of the living room, there was a magenta-haired girl in a short-sleeved red sailor shirt, a short skirt, short black socks and brown shoes... and she was weak.

"Shiina?" Yuuto cried, and then he looked at Zen and the rest of his henchmen, "Zen, what did you do to her?"

"We were ordered to kidnap Ms. Amamiya here and hold her for ransom." Zen answers, "What are you, her knight in shining armour or some shit?"

"That's right." Yuuto replied angrily,

"Hey!" Zen cries, "You think you can beat us by yourself? I think not, man... Not with your girl's life at stake here!"

Shiina began to groan, moan... and wake up. "Y-Yuuto?" she said weakly

"Shiina!" Yuuto cried, "Are you OK?"

"I'll be OK..." Shiina said then gasps when she noticed some of Zen's henchmen chuckling at her. She yelps and cries, "Help, Yuuto!"

"I'm not going to ask you again." Yuuto said, "Let Shiina go! She has nothing to do with this!"

"Yeah, right!" Zen cries, "Or what...?"

"You told me before." Yuuto replies, "I'll beat you all by myself."

"Shut the hell up!" The henchman in the white suit cries, "Let's kill him and his girlfriend!"

Zen took out his knife. Yuuto got into his fighting stance. "I need to take out some of his henchmen… I've got it!" Yuuto thought

Yuuto grabbed the grey suit henchman by the collar, and held him in a headlock. The blue-sweater-and-red-pants wearing henchman rushed at Yuuto, but… POW! Both henchmen bashed their heads with each other and Yuuto tossed the grey suit henchman down. "Get out!" Yuuto cries

Yuuto tried his 3-punch-and-hammer-hook combo on Zen. Zen blocked all strikes, but took a scratch from the hammer hook. The black sweatshirt-wearing henchman took the harsher damage as he was in Yuuto's way.

"Help me, Yuuto!" Shiina cried as she cowered away from the henchmen coming towards her.

"I'm coming, Shi-OW!" Yuuto cried, but before he could finish, he was hit in the head by a lamp. Yuuto saw the attacker as he lay down on the floor: the henchman wearing a white sweater.

"He's mine!" Yuuto thought as he got up.

He rushed to the white sweater-wearing henchman getting close to Shiina and rushed him with a 3-punch-and-hammer-hook combo. The henchman blocked all punches, but the uppercut and hammer hook.

Zen was close to Shiina who kept cowering. "Yuuto, help me!" she cries

Zen was about to slash Shiina's pretty face until… he was grabbed from behind by a smiling Yuuto. "Hey, pal." He said, and then yells, "Hiya!"

Yuuto did a long kick that made Zen hit a wall and miss Shiina by a centimetre. Yuuto charged at the white-suit henchman and the black sweatshirt-wearing henchman with a 3-punch-2-kick-and-overhead-jumping-spin-kick combo. That attack strike defeated them both.

Shiina saw Zen down, but as soon as he got up, she cried, "Yuuto! Zen is getting up!"

Before Zen took a stab at Shiina's pretty figure, Yuuto attacked him with his 3-punch-and-hammer-hook combo. "Yuuto! On your right!" Shiina cries

Yuuto reacted quickly and saw the white sweater-wearing henchman with a wastebasket in hand. Yuuto grabbed the henchman's collar and pushed him off with a long kick.

"Get Zen away from me!" Shiina cries as Zen got closer to her, knife in hand.

Yuuto got in front of Zen and yells, "Take a stab at me!"

Zen growls and he thrusted his knife on Yuuto, but… POW! Yuuto reversed the strike with the Ukenageshi. Zen got dizzy and Yuuto picked up the wastebasket and pounded Zen with it, bringing him down.

Zen growled as he got up. "Come on!" Yuuto taunted, "Thrust at me again!"

Zen thrusted his knife at Yuuto, only… POW! He was reversed again by Yuuto's Ukenageshi.

Yuuto grabbed Zen's collar and gave him a long kick that bounced him off the bar counter and slump face-down. He rolled up, but Yuuto stepped on his face. Zen took another facial hit, thanks to Yuuto's jump.

Shiina was amazed at how graceful and strong Yuuto is. "Wow." She thought, "I never knew Yuuto could fight. I never even knew that he grew so strong. I have to tell him something."

Zen got up and took Yuuto's second punch, which made him slump down in tiredness. Yuuto felt the pink energy coming back to him and he screams out, as he got into a horse stance. Then, he rose up.

Yuuto rushed to Zen and gave him a knee to the face. Zen staggered as he backed up a bit. Yuuto walked over to Zen, grabbed his shoulder, and… POW! Zen was brought down and out by Yuuto's headbutt.

Yuuto rushed to Shiina. "Are you OK, Shiina?" he said

"I'm… fine." Shiina replies as Yuuto helped her up, then she said, "Thank you for saving me."

"You're quite welcome." Yuuto replies, smiling

"Listen, Yuuto…" Shiina began to confess, "I need to tell you something… Something very important."

"What is it?" Yuuto said

"That… was some fight you put on." Shiina said, nervously, "I'm amazed how strong and how good of a fighter you are."

Yuuto chuckles and replies, "Thanks."

"Anyways… what… I wanted to say was…" Shiina said

Then… they heard growling. Zen got up and charged at Shiina and Yuuto, with his trusty knife! Shiina… did a high kick to swat the knife out of Zen's hand and… POW! Yuuto pushed him away with a long kick. The knife… landed right near his weenie, which made him whimper in cowardice!

Yuuto then yelled, "Were you the one who kidnapped Haruka Nogizaka?"

"Y-Yes!" Zen cries, "I wanted to have fun with her and kill her, but my boss ordered me not to! We took her to a different place!"

"Where? And why?" Yuuto yells,

"I don't know!" Zen cries, "If I talk, the boss might kill me! Besides, I joined the Hitmen to kidnap pretty girls of yakuza gangsters, hold them hostage and maybe kill them!"

Yuuto sighs and took a few steps. Once he cooled his head, he said, "You must have a crazy history in kidnapping people. That nickname of the "Black Hyena" suits you. I'm going to have to take you in." He then got out his cell phone and calls someone.

A few minutes later, Zen was taken to Kamuro Castle. A worker from the Straight Life Association said, "Thank you for bringing in Zen. Ibuki would like to see you back at Kamuro Castle."

Back at Kamuro Castle, Ibuki began to speak to Yuuto. "Thank you for bringing in Zen. I was still surprised when I heard that he kidnapped…" Then, he turned to Shiina, "What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Shiina Amamiya." She replies and bows

"You are one miracle worker, Yuuto Ayase." Ibuki said, "It goes to show that when one is down and out, friends are there for you. You really do have good friends, Yuuto-san. Make sure you treat them well."

"Will do, Ibuki-san." Yuuto replies and bows. Ibuki then gave Yuuto ¥120,000 as a reward for capturing Zen.

"Go have fun with Ms. Amamiya for a while." Ibuki said, "I'll be here for your next assignment whenever you're ready."

Both Yuuto and Shiina left Kamuro Castle.

Yuuto and Shiina ran over to Park No. 3, between Tenkaichi and Nakamichi Streets. They both sat on the set of swings. There was a moment of silence between the two for a few minutes. That is when Shiina began to speak.

"Yuuto…" she began, nervously

"I'm sorry, but…" Yuuto interrupts politely, "How did you get kidnapped?"

Shiina sighed at first. "I'm sorry if my memory is so blurry," she began, "But, I'll try my best to explain."

"We had P.E. today, and I was performing so well at cross country and all sorts of running events that I grew very tired… but I was also so happy at the same time."

"Why was that?" Yuuto asks

"I actually beat the school record at the 100-metre dash, which was 9.95 seconds. I got 9.90 seconds! After when P.E. finished, I drank my water bottle, but later when I was going to class in the third period, I began to feel dizzy. People were concerned for me as I rushed to a bathroom. Unfortunately, I was too weak and fainted the moment I got inside. The last thing I saw before I shut my eyes… was Zen and his men."

"Ah…" Yuuto said, "And I'm guessing they abducted you and brought you to Kamurocho?"

"Yes." Shiina answers, then she began to say, "Were you surprised by my skyscraper kick?"

"Yes, actually." Yuuto responds, and then chuckles, "You could really put up a fight."

"Truth be told…" Shiina said, "I was taught that move."

"By who?" Yuuto asks

Shiina then answers, "Bai Ren."

"Who is that?" Yuuto asks

"She's a really old lady." Shiina responds, "But, she taught me the art of Kung Fu."

"Really?" Yuuto replies, "How did you meet her?"

"Let's see…" Shiina replies, "It all began when she made a visit in Kamurocho. I was also there just to buy supplies in a great discount store called 'Don Quijote'."

"I actually like the song they play there…" Yuuto replies, "You know…"

And they both sang the store song. "Don, Don, Don, Donki, Don Quijote!" And they both laughed.

"Anyways," Shiina said, "I went to Don Quijote to get some stuff. On my way there, I saw an old lady when I ran through a little alley behind this bar called New Serena. We introduced each other, but she wanted me to call her Granny White. She called me Shii."

"Shii?" Yuuto said, "Why did she give you that name?"

"Well, we needed nicknames and the one she gave me was kind of cute!" Shiina continued, "But, then we saw a bunch of foreigners and they wanted to kill Granny. I had my trusty Naginata Spear at the time, so we defeated those guys in nothing flat. We even cleared some guys out at the parking lot in Shichifuku Street East. I've learned that she's actually a teacher from the Lotus School. One student from her school was kind of mad at her."

"Why?" Yuuto says

"It's because she once taught a man the art of Kung Fu. Now he is the chancellor for the Chinese Snake Flower Triad in Yokohama's Chinatown." Shiina said, "The name of this man is… Lau Ka Long."

"Lau Ka Long?" Yuuto replies,

"That guy, I've heard is a heartless and cunning man who rules the Triads in Japan with an iron fist." Shiina said, "So they say… Anyway, that student who's angry at Granny White said that she can never live up to Lau's ways. Granny, on the other hand, said that Lau is a cruel man and that it was right of her to expel him out of the Lotus School. So… we fought. During our fights, I noticed how Granny fought our opponents. She fought them with so much flair and style. Her movement is graceful and her attacks pack quite a lot of sting."

"Halfway through the fight, my Naginata Spear broke. So, I tried to fight the way Granny and the Snake Flower Triad members did. My movement began to feel graceful and swift, and my attacks began to stain the triad members. We ended up defeating them and they left us be for good."

"Wow." Yuuto said, "Those must have been intense fights for you both."

"They were!" Shiina said, "Granny revealed to me that she was Bai Ren, the White Lotus Master. She saw how I did the Kung Fu moves and was very impressed. She even gave me a new Dragon Naginata Spear with her autograph! And that was that. We eventually became friends and she gave me books from the Lotus School to read up and learn."

"That's wonderful, Shiina!" Yuuto replies, "It seems that you're becoming a formidable fighter! Good for you!"

"Thanks, Yuuto." Shiina replies back

"To tell you the truth, though," Yuuto said, "Kamurocho is a really dangerous place. I don't know if you're able to survive in this town without being harassed."

"I'll be OK." Shiina said, "I mean… I've done a lot to look out for myself. I can help you find Haruka Nogizaka… I mean… it's the least I can do."

Yuuto then gave it a bit of thought, then he said, "OK. You can join me."

"All right!" Shiina cried, "I won't let you down, Yuuto!"

Then, she gasped. "Oh no! I forgot! I need some extra clothing since I'm staying in Kamurocho for a while! I need to take a taxi back home!"

"OK! I'll take you to the nearest taxi." Yuuto said.

Both Yuuto and Shiina ran south to Showa Street on Nakamichi Street. Once they found a taxi, Shiina faced Yuuto and said, "OK. I'll get my things and I'll give you a call once I arrive back in Kamurocho."

"OK." Yuuto agreed, "I'll be hearing from you soon."

And Shiina got in the taxi and it drove off.

Yuuto took the time to walk a little bit. He decided to go east on Showa Street up to Pink Street. Then, he began to walk north. Then, he noticed a van parked outside and a man standing by. The man noticed Yuuto and said, "Hey, buddy. Looking at you, I'd say you're in need of weaponry."

"Why ask me?" Yuuto asks, "I'm a high school student."

"Yeah, but you seem tough." The man said, "Hmm… I think I can give you a hint… Try to think how many steps are in Shinseicho's Tsutenkaku Tower…"

"Er… OK." Yuuto said and left. But, he went into Beam, which is a video store. The clerk noticed Yuuto and said, "Hey, kid. What do you need?"

"Hmm… I would like to see the weapons place." Yuuto answers, nervously

"What's the password?" The clerk asks.

"Hmm…" Yuuto then said, "503."

"Ah. OK." The clerk said, "You can go right ahead."

Yuuto walked outside and entered the weapons shop in the van. "Nice…" Yuuto thought, "It's got everything I need."

Then, he walked up to the dealer. "What do you need, kid?" He asked

"I would like… a Fighter's Binding, a Bulletproof Vest and a Fine Steel Dachi." Yuuto responds.

"OK, man… That will come to ¥438,200." The dealer said. Yuuto paid the amount in full and collected the items and accessories.

"I don't know what you're going to use these for, but… use them well." The dealer said. Yuuto nods and leaves.

The moment Yuuto got out of the van, his phone rang. Yuuto picked up his cell. "Hello?"

"Hi, Yuuto!" a girl cried. It was Shiina.

"Shiina! You arrived in Kamurocho?" Yuuto cried,

"I'm at this place called… Kamuro Castle." Shiina said, "Why don't we meet there?"

"OK!" Yuuto said, and then he hung up. He quickly ran south on Pink Street up to an alleyway where Kamuro Castle is.

He went inside and saw Shiina. He said, "Hey! How are you doing?"

"I'm doing OK." Shiina said, "So… whenever you need my help, I'm here. And I'll join you to hunt down the Hitmen and find Haruka."

"Huh?" Yuuto said, "How did you know about the Hitmen?"

"Oh. Ibuki told me what you were up to." Shiina answers, "Plus what you've done so far, so…"

"Ah. OK." Yuuto said

Then, he went to the table near the sofa where Ibuki normally sits. He looked in the folder for the next Hitman to find. There is an unstamped file on a guy named "Tokoyami the Masked Assassin". There is not much information on him, nor is there a photo of him. "Hmph." Yuuto said, "I guess I'm on my own for this one."

Then, he left Kamuro Castle to find Tokoyami.

Yuuto took a wild guess and ran back to where the Ryuugujou is. Then, he heard, "Hey, kid!"

"Hm?" Yuuto thought, "Could that be me?"

"If you try to look for me, you will be killed!" the voice continued

"Something's not right here." Yuuto thought as he looked around, then he noticed a salary man in a grey suit and large glasses.

"Hey!" Yuuto called, "What are you doing here? There might be someone after you!"

The salary man turned to Yuuto and said nothing at first, until... "Probably, unless this guy looking at you is on you."

"You must be Tokoyami, correct?" Yuuto said

"Yeah." Tokoyami replies, "And now you must die!" And he takes out his knife.

Yuuto rushed at Tokoyami with his 3-punch-and-2-kick string, but Tokoyami blocked all attacks and reversed it with a quick kick that dropped Yuuto down fast. Yuuto regained his footing by cart wheeling back up straight.

Yuuto tried his 2-punch-and-body-and-knee string. Tokoyami blocked all blows and reversed the combo attack with a quick kick on Yuuto's gut that dropped him.

Tokoyami did some quick evasive manoeuvres. "Man..." Yuuto thought, "This guys, despite how he dresses, is fast and tough! I have to counter his speed and strength somehow."

Yuuto got up. Just then, he saw Tokoyami behind him. He saw an opportunity and took advantage of it by grabbing Tokoyami's collar and giving him a long kick that sent him flying across the pavement. Yuuto then stomped on him.

Yuuto saw Tokoyami get up and thrust his knife repeatedly at Yuuto. He thought, "Hmm... How about I..."

Tokoyami attempted his fourth thrust on Yuuto, but... POW! Yuuto countered the attack with the Ukenageshi. Tokoyami grew dizzy and Yuuto saw a big round pot with a plant and picked it up. He walked to Tokoyami and... Yuuto bashed Tokoyami's head with the pot which broke in two, punched Tokoyami's stomach ten times and chopped him once in the face bringing him down, and rolling him over.

"Grr..." Tokoyami cried as he got up. "You're good, kid! But, try this on for size!"

With that, he tossed small knives at Yuuto! But, Yuuto rolled away, making the knives miss their intended target. Yuuto quickly swayed at Tokoyami, popping him with a Sabakiuchi-style headbutt.

Yuuto swayed backwards, interrupting Tokoyami's knife thrust with a Sabakiuchi-type kick. Yuuto then tried a punch, then a underhook and then an uppercut. Tokoyami blocked all strikes, but, for a split-second, he had his guard broken.

Yuuto took the opportunity to grab Tokoyami by the collar and give him a punch in the face and in the gut before he had his grip broken. Then, Tokoyami thrusted his knife twice as Yuuto swayed backwards. When Tokoyami threw a punch, it was reversed by Yuuto's Ukenageshi. Yuuto took advantage of Tokoyami's dizzy state and picked up a bicycle. He smashed it into Tokoyami's midsection, causing it to break and Tokoyami's body dropping down.

Tokoyami growled as he got up. Yuuto had a one-wheeled bicycle in his hands and whacked it at Tokoyami's head repeatedly, taking away his opportunity to attack. Then, it broke into pieces with Yuuto holding the wheel. He tried to whack Tokoyami with it, but he was hit and dropped by a quick kick from Tokoyami.

"No way I'm falling for that again!" Tokoyami yells as Yuuto got up. Tokoyami did a spinning dodge and tossed knives at Yuuto, only to miss as Yuuto quickly dodged them. He found and picked up a trash bin near the fences. He tossed it at Tokoyami, hitting him. He then followed it up with a drop kick, which hit Tokoyami.

Just when Tokoyami was about to attack Yuuto from behind, he took a sharp elbow strike... and he slumped down.

Yuuto felt the heavenly pink power coming back. He got into a horse stance and screamed. Then, he rose up.

Yuuto rushed at Tokoyami and gave him a knee to the face. Tokoyami staggered as he backed up. Yuuto walked up to Tokoyami, gripped his shoulder and... POW! He took him out with a harsh headbutt.

Tokoyami was slow at getting up. "Ugh..." he said, "I guess I underestimated you, kid..."

"So... I am to assume that you joined the Hitmen because you hate yakuza?" Yuuto asks

"It's true." Tokoyami answered after a moment of silence. "I was doing fine in my career as an office worker, but the yakuza came to my face demanding money from me. I was constantly harassed by them that I decided to run off... and join the Hitmen."

"OK..." Yuuto said, still under the idea that Tokoyami is not "cool" enough to join the Hitmen. "I have another question. Do you know anything about the Nogizaka raid and Haruka's kidnapping?"

"Nope." Tokoyami responds, "But I did receive a nice job offer as a butler from the Missus."

Yuuto sighs as that information did not help... much. "OK." Yuuto said, "I'll have to take you in. I'll make sure your life will be all and good again." And he pulls out his cell phone to call someone...

A few minutes later, Tokoyami was taken to Kamuro Castle. A worker from the Straight Life Association said, "Thank you for bringing in Tokoyami. Ibuki would like to see you back at Kamuro Castle."

Back at Kamuro Castle, Ibuki began to speak to Yuuto. "Thank you for bringing in Tokoyami. I really feel bad for that guy. I think he had it hard when yakuza came at him harassing him. I'll also let Mrs. Nogizaka know about that job offer that she still has for him. Here's your reward, Yuuto-san."

Ibuki gave Yuuto ¥120,000 as a reward for capturing Tokoyami. Yuuto looked in the folder for another Hitman to find. The stamp is now marked on the files of all the eight Hitmen that Yuuto brought in so far. "OK... Ibuki-san..." Yuuto said, "I'm going to turn in for the night."

"OK, Yuuto-san." Ibuki replied, "Have a good night."

Yuuto then left Kamuro Castle back to his hotel room. But, before he stepped out, he motioned for Shiina to come along. She nodded and left alongside Yuuto.


	6. Armaments

Chapter 6: Armaments

Next morning, Yuuto has awakened from his own bed. He felt a bit groggy at first, but when he noticed Shiina sleeping in a bed across from his, he smiled. He knew that he gained a burst of confidence on his mission to search for Haruka Nogizaka and bringing down the Hitmen.

He went outside by himself after changing into his casual clothing. Then, he got a phone call. It was from the Nogizaka Family. "Hello?" Yuuto said,

"Yuuto! It's Akiho!" a woman on the other line cried, "I… I have some important… news to tell you…"

"What is it, Mrs. Nogizaka?" Yuuto asks

"I… I think… you're being… watched." Akiho answers, very nervously

"What?" Yuuto cried out

"Those guys… have written back to us…" Akiho cries, "They… know… exactly what you're doing…! If they see you… they'll… make time shorter for us to get the money! If that's the case…. Please come home right now!"

"Mrs. Nogizaka…" Yuuto cried, "Calm down."

"Look! Our daughter's life is at stake!" Akiho cried

"I'm well aware of that." Yuuto responds back, "Look. All I can do now is find out who's behind this and for sure, I can stop them from killing Haruka. I know I can do it. So… I'm not going home until this is settled."

"Yuuto…" Akiho cried,

"I know it's dangerous, but I've done a lot to protect myself from harm." Yuuto said, "So… let me be and I'll figure out who's behind the kidnapping."

After a moment of silence, Akiho finally gave in and said, "OK… I hope you can save our daughter."

"I definitely will." Yuuto said, and hung up.

Yuuto then took a walk east on Shichifuku Street West, and moved south on Senryo Avenue. Right when he reached the T-intersection on Senryo Avenue, he noticed someone on a bike holding a ton of boxes of soba, which are Japanese noodles. He thought, "Hm? What's this?" And he whips out his cellphone.

The delivery man was riding along holding the boxes of soba in his hand and sang along as he rode down on his bike. Just then, he began to lose balance of holding the soba boxes and then he started to lose control of his bike. He began to say, "Whoa! Wh-wh-wh-wha-wh…" And then he screamed.

He crashed on a railing and he and the soba were flying everywhere. But… he landed on his feet! He was in extreme shock and then he cried out… "I'm safe!" Until… a bucket and a soba box hit his head… and he fainted from the hit. Everyone around was laughing and somewhat whooping from the incident.

Yuuto thought as he got the good photos, "Hmm… He would have been paying more attention to where he was going if he was not holding all that soba."

Yuuto then thought "I've got it!" Then, he rammed his cellphone buttons like mad like he did with the past instances he did this. Then, he slams down the button to confirm.

In his mind, Yuuto sees himself kicking an opponent's gut letting go of a large item he was carrying. Yuuto jumped up, snatched the large item and slammed it over his opponent's head.

After that, Yuuto thought, "Is there really more to do in this city? I don't know if I feel like going to an adult place…"

He then decided that he would go to a nightlife-style location. One of which is a strip bar known as "Asia". He checked the map on where it is located. It is on Pink Street, close to Taihei Boulevard East. So, he ran north and ran slightly west on Taihei Boulevard to Pink Street. Then, he walked a bit south to find "Asia". He walked up to the doorman. The doorman said, "Hey, kid! You want to see some hot girls? Only ¥3,000 a show!"

Yuuto then thought, "OK… At least I don't have Shiina around."

He paid ¥3,000 and walked inside. Yuuto went downstairs and walked through the double doors inside a room. The room was lighted with a disco ball and it had a pole at the centre of the stage. Yuuto found an open seat in the crowded room and sat down. He thought, "Well… this is an OK seat."

The show immediately began underway with a girl climbing on a pole and doing a dance. She was doing amazing movement on the pole. One such move was that she was slithering like a snake. The show lasted for 3 minutes, and right after, Yuuto went upstairs and left the club. However, when he did go outside, he noticed a crowd around a pole. He looks up and notices a drunken man… pole dancing. He thought, "Hm? What's this?" And he whips out his cellphone.

The drunken man began singing and swinging down on the pole. He squirmed up on the pole, hiccupping at each climb. The crowd began to grow more amazed at the drunken man's dance. Then, he cried "Here I come!" The crowd began to whoop. He cried out, "Ready?" Then, keeping his hands on the pole, he splits his legs open. He cries out, "Finish!"

Then, he loses his grip on the pole, smashes his head on the pole and falls down on the ground. The crowd clapped, laughed and cheered. Yuuto thought as he got the good photos, "Amazing… I never knew that legs can hold things three times as strong as arms!"

Yuuto then thought "I've got it!" Then, he rammed his cellphone buttons like mad like he did with the past instances he did this. Then, he slams down the button to confirm.

In his mind, Yuuto sees himself running towards a bent over opponent, grabbed his head by the legs and spun around doing a dance, and finishes the attack with a takedown.

Then, he received a phone call. "Hello?" he said after he picked up his cell.

"Hi! It's Shiina!" a girl called out on the other line

"Hey, Shiina." Yuuto said, "Are you awake?"

"Yup!" Shiina cried, "I feel like playing a game of bowling with you. Can we meet at Mach Bowl?"

"Sure." Yuuto replied, "I'm on my way there now."

Yuuto ran north to Taihei Boulevard East and then west up to the alley behind Theatre Square. And then he noticed Shiina, wearing a white shirt, black skirt, white pantyhose and a white hat. "Hey!" Shiina cried, "Let's go inside!"

"Sure." Yuuto said and they both walked inside.

Then, they both went to the counter. The cashier said, "Welcome to Mach Bowl. Would you like to play a game?"

"Yes, ma'am." Yuuto replies,

"OK. That'll be ¥500 a game. Is this OK?" the cashier asks

"Sure." Yuuto answers and paid the ¥500. "How long would you like your game to be? 3 frames or 10 frames?" the cashier asks

"Let's make it 3 frames." Yuuto answers.

"OK." The cashier responds, "Have fun."

Both Yuuto and Shiina went into the Lane 5. Yuuto went first with a blue bowling ball in his hand. He held the ball in front of him and then… he released it down the lane. It sped down the lane… and knocked down 9 pins! The only left is at the right corner. "Not bad…" Yuuto thought, "A chance to get a spare at least…"

Yuuto put himself in a ready position and aimed the ball at the corner… He thrusts the ball down the lane… But it landed in the gutter on the right side. Yuuto sighs. He ended up with a score of 9.

Shiina stepped up with her purple ball in hand. She puts her ball in front of her and then… she released it down the lane. It sped down the lane, straight on… and knocked down 5 pins. "Somewhat of a split…" Shiina thought, "Not even close to how Yuuto did it…"

Shiina tried again, putting herself in a ready position and aimed the ball straight ahead… She thrusts the ball down the lane… and it knocked down the three pins on the right side. She ended up with a score of 8.

Yuuto stepped forward to start the second frame. He held his blue ball in front of him and then… he released it down the lane. It sped down the lane… And this time, it hit 5 pins on the right side. "Not bad…" Yuuto thought, "I'm sure to get a spare this time…"

Yuuto put himself in a ready position and aimed the ball at the left side… He thrusts the ball down the lane… and knocked down the remaining 5 pins on the left side! "Yes!" Yuuto thought as he pumped his fist. He did indeed get the spare.

Shiina stepped up with her purple ball in hand. She puts her ball in front of her and then… she released it down the lane. It sped down the lane, curving towards the pins… and she knocked down all, but the middle pin. "Wow!" Shiina thought, "Easy spare coming up!"

Shiina tried again, putting herself in a ready position and aimed the ball straight ahead… She thrusts the ball down the lane… And it knocked down the remaining pin. "Yes!" Shiina thought as she jumped for joy. She did indeed pick up the spare.

Yuuto stepped forward to start the third and final frame. He held his blue ball in front of him and then… he released it down the lane. It sped down the lane… and she knocked down all, but the pin on the left side. "Hmm…" Yuuto thought, "I could get a spare here."

Yuuto put himself in a ready position and aimed the ball at the left side… He thrusts the ball down the lane… and knocked down the remaining pin on the left side. "Yes!" Yuuto thought as he pumped his fist. He did indeed get the spare.

Because Yuuto got a spare, he has a chance to go for a strike on his last ball. So, he put himself in a ready position and aimed the ball at the left side… He thrusts the ball down the lane… and knocked down all the pins! "All right!" Yuuto thought, "I got a strike!"

Shiina stepped up with her purple ball in hand. She puts her ball in front of her and then… she released it down the lane. It sped down the lane, curving towards the pins… and she knocked down 7 pins. "I could do better." Shiina thought,

Shiina tried again, putting herself in a ready position and aimed the ball straight ahead… She thrusts the ball down the lane… and she ended up hitting 2 of the 3 pins. "Aww…" Shiina thought,

In the end, Yuuto ended up with 48 points and Shiina finished with 34.

"Good game, Yuuto." Shiina said,

"Yeah." Yuuto said, "Same here."

"Shall we head on out?" Shiina asked

"OK." Yuuto said, but he quickly notices three boys at Lane 14. One of them is about to start bowling. He thought, "Hm? What's this?" And he whips out his cellphone.

The guy with the black shirt picked up the black bowling ball. "All right! I'm up!"

"Come on, man!" another boy cried, "Get a strike!"

The guy with the black shirt put himself in a ready position and aimed the ball. He thrusts forward and… tosses himself down the lane! "Oh no!" one of the two guys cried out

The guy with the black shirt cried out "Aaah! Shit! Heeeelpppp meeeeee!" And… POW! He knocked out all the bowling pins down with his body! The legs were sticking out in the lane. The two boys cried out! "That was awesome! Cool!"

Yuuto thought as he got the good photos, "Wow… That guy was huge… So huge that he knocked all the pins down!"

Yuuto then thought "I've got it!" Then, he rammed his cellphone buttons like mad like he did with the past instances he did this. Then, he slams down the button to confirm.

In his mind, Yuuto sees himself grabbing a tired boss, thrusting him up in the air and performing a drop kick on him. The boss flew right to his henchmen dropping them all down like bowling pins.

"Yuuto." Shiina said, "Ready?"

"Oh… Yeah!" Yuuto said, after he regained his awareness. The two left Mach Bowl and headed straight for Kamuro Castle.

Upon entry, Yuuto went straight for the folder to look at who's the next target to capture and bring over. He looks closely and found a non-stamped Hitman file. The Hitman he looked at is one called "Sameshima the Firearms Expert". According to the file, he was not happy with what the Straight Life Association gave him and he did not like that he was pestered into coming back with the Association. There was also a rumour that he is selling firearms to non-yakuza groups looking to send a message to yakuza families in Kamurocho. After putting down the folder, he put on the Bulletproof Vest he bought from the Weapons Van across from Beam. He then looks at Shiina and said, "Shiina. Come with me. Let's track down Sameshima together."

Shiina nods and they both leave Kamuro Castle to find Sameshima.

Yuuto and Shiina ran east to Pink Street and then made a left, heading north. They took a right on Taihei Boulevard East. They both took a left on Senryo Avenue. Then, they noticed two men in suits. Yuuto began to speak, "Excuse me, but do you two know someone named Sameshima?"

The man in the red suit cried, "Huh? What the fuck do you want from him?"

"We just want to speak to him." Shiina replies,

"How about you lovebirds get the fuck out of our sights?" the man in the red suit retorted

"How about we don't?" Yuuto replies,

"Well… we warned you." The man in the grey suit said, "Now, we get to use you and your cute girlfriend as target practice!"

"You better be ready to die!" the man in the red suit cries out and he took out his shotgun. The grey suit man took out his pistol.

"Ready, Shiina?" Yuuto asked while in his fighting pose.

"You got it!" Shiina replies with confidence, "I got the one with the shotgun!"

Yuuto rushed at the pistol-equipped grey suit man while Shiina focused on the red suit man with the shotgun. The grey suit man took his shots at Shiina, only to graze her hair as she did a spinning dodge.

"Hey, Yuuto!" Shiina cries happily, "Watch this!"

The man in the red suit fired his shotgun... only to miss Shiina as she held the chamber upwards. She lowered it and bashed it out of the man's arms with a knee. Then... POW! Shiina gave the man a shoe in the face, taking him out.

Yuuto rolled to evade the pistol shots from the grey suit man and grabbed the shotgun from the fallen red suit man. He bashed the grey suit man with the holster and... POW! He shot him!

But all the shells did is make the grey suit man dazed on the floor. Yuuto propped the man up after dropping the shotgun. Shiina grabbed the grey suit man by the collar from behind and... BAM! Yuuto bashed him with a jumping kick as Shiina held the grey suit man from behind.

"Ugh..." the red suit man cries after he and his colleague felt the explosive touch of the Hakujou Hitman Hunters. "Sameshima is inside..."

"Heh. OK." Yuuto said and he and Shiina went inside.

Yuuto and Shiina found themselves in an office, with a few computer-filled desks, some filing cabinets, two small sofa-like chairs, a small table, a desk and a large cabinet. Someone yelled, "Who the fuck are you? Did Ibuki send you both?" In front of Yuuto and Shiina is a grey-haired man wearing a green suit and sunglasses.

"You could say that." Shiina replied,

"You must be Sameshima, right?" Yuuto asks

"Yeah, you could say that." The green suit man said,

He then thought, "What the hell is Ibuki thinking? I told him to stay away from our affairs! What's worse is that he sends... kids to capture me!"

Then, he cried out to his 5 henchmen. "Hey! Boys! Pin those kids down and put them in body bags!"

All 5 henchmen took out their pistols. As Yuuto prepared himself, he thought, "Shiina doesn't have protection against bullets. I HAVE to defend her."

Shiina did a side-sweeping kick to evade to the southwest corner of the office. Yuuto focused on the two red-suit, pistol-toting henchmen and brought them down with his 3-punch-2-kick-and-overhead-jumping-spin-kick combo. Yuuto was then shot multiple times in the body, bringing him down to the floor.

"Yuuto!" Shiina cries and focused her attention on the fat pistol-toting henchman. He tried to fire at her, but Shiina sidestepped and grabbed his pistol-equipped right arm, slapped his face with her right hand, pulled him forward and bashed him with a palm that knocked him down.

"I'm... OK." Yuuto said as he got up. He picked up a pistol and yells, "Shiina! Get out of the way!"

"OK!" Shiina responds and dodged backwards as Yuuto unloaded on the three remaining henchmen. Two of the henchmen were knocked out.

The fat henchman that Shiina took down grew super-scared of Yuuto and cries out in cowardice. During that time, Yuuto threw the empty pistol away, picked up another gun and fired at the fat henchman... until he was defeated.

"W-What the fuck are you?" Sameshima cried after seeing his henchmen defeated by a couple of high-school kids.

Yuuto replied after dropping his pistol. "We're nobody you know... much."

"Sh... Shit." Sameshima replies

Just then, 5 men came into the office. One said, "Good afternoon, Sameshima. How's life treating you today?"

Just then, they noticed Yuuto and Shiina. "What? What the hell are they doing here?"

"These two kids are getting on my nerves!" Sameshima cries, "Send them back to their families, dead or alive!"

"OK, boss!" one of his henchmen cried and then turned to Yuuto and Shiina. "Ready to die, kids? You better be because we're going to blow you away!"

All 5 henchmen got out their shotguns. "Shiina." Yuuto said, "Stay behind me."

"OK." Shiina replies as both kids got into their fighting stances.

Then, Yuuto took out a weapon that made the 5 henchmen stagger a bit... the Fine Steel Dachi he bought at the Weapons Shop in the van near Beam. He began hacking away at the barrier until it broke. He kept hacking at the 5 henchmen and brought two down for a bit, catching air the rest of the way, and then... POW! Yuuto was brought down by shotgun shells.

Shiina growled as Yuuto got up. She snuck up behind a shotgun-toting henchman and grabbed him by the collar. Yuuto quickly disarmed his dachi and grabbed the somewhat obese henchman by the collar. Shiina pushed her henchman right at Yuuto's henchman while he kept his henchman at a headlock and... POW! Both men knocked each other out! Yuuto then let go of the fat henchman, throwing him on the floor. "Get out!" Yuuto and Shiina cried out

Yuuto and Shiina finished off one more henchman each with their respective combo attacks. Yuuto defeated one with his 3-punch-2-kick-and-overhead-jumping-spin-kick combo. Shiina defeated one with her upper-and-sky-kick combo strike.

Yuuto quickly picked up a shotgun and blasted the last henchman away... with 3 shots.

Sameshima saw all this and got even more angry. He growled and yelled, "What the fuck are you two?"

"Had enough, Sameshima?" Shiina mocked

"I'll deal with you two myself!" Sameshima roared, "Time to die, kids!"

Sameshima pulled out his sub-machine gun. "I don't know if those bullets will blast through my bulletproof vest." Yuuto thought, "Either way, I can't let Shiina take them."

Yuuto rushed to pick up a chair from a desk, with Shiina twirling to his left side. She saw that Sameshima is about to fire and dodged quickly. Yuuto was hit by a hail of bullets, bringing him down.

"Ouch! Bad way to start." Yuuto thought as he got up and ran to Sameshima and grabbed him by the collar. But, he quickly broke free of Yuuto's grip.

Sameshima fired his gun again, hitting Yuuto with a hail of bullets. Thankfully, Shiina was away from the path of bullets. Yuuto was knocked down yet again. He got up and tried attacking Sameshima from behind with his 3-punch-and-2-kick attack before being interrupted by a hail of bullets. Thankfully, he wasn't knocked down this time.

"I wonder..." Yuuto thought and quickly signalled Shiina to attack from behind just as Sameshima is firing his gun. She tried her elbow-palm-and-spin-kick strike, but Sameshima is still standing as he kept firing.

Sameshima noticed that he's close to the window, then he yells, "I see what you are trying to do! It won't work this time!"

Unfortunately, he didn't see Yuuto as he tried hitting Shiina with a hail of bullets from his gun. Yuuto was on his left side, hitting him with his 3-punch-and-hammer-hook combo. Sameshima is still standing after taking all that damage.

Both men, Yuuto and Sameshima, moved back and forward respectively. Shiina swayed forward on Sameshima's right side. Sameshima fired his gun, missing Yuuto and took a cheap shot from Yuuto's Sabakiuchi-style punch.

Shiina tried an elbow and a palm, hitting Sameshima. Then, she grabbed his head and bashed him with a jumping knee. "It's all yours, Yuuto." She said after knocking Sameshima down, face-up.

Yuuto took advantage and stepped on his face and followed the attack up by jumping on it again, hurting Sameshima even more. "Shit..." Sameshima cried as he got up.

Sameshima fired his gun, only to miss Yuuto and take a hit from the Sabakiuchi-style punch and... slump down in tiredness.

Yuuto got into his horse stance as the pink feathery aura came back... and he screamed. Then, he rose up.

Yuuto rushed up to Sameshima and bashed him with a knee to the face. Sameshima staggered as he backed away for a bit. Then, Yuuto walked up, grabbed Sameshima's shoulder and... POW! He gave Sameshima the headache of his life with a huge headbutt!

Sameshima got up, withering in pain. "Oww..."

"I suppose you had something to do with the Nogizaka raid, Sameshima. Am I right?" Yuuto asks

"Shit... No." Sameshima answers, "Truth is... I was an ex-member of the Straight Life Association. I didn't like it there. That's why I became a Hitman... selling firearms to ex-yakuza gangsters needing some pieces."

"Why?" Yuuto asks

"I didn't think Ibuki should meddle with me or make me go back there." Sameshima answers, "But... I understand why you kids are after guys like me. It's to help us rehabilitate and in return... you're out to find clues to get what you want... all with nothing in return."

"If you want to bring me in..." Sameshima continues, in a somewhat dejected mood "...feel free to do so."

Yuuto then said, "OK. I'll let Ibuki know." And he gets out his cell phone to call Ibuki.

A few minutes later, Sameshima was taken to Kamuro Castle. A worker from the Straight Life Association said, "Thank you for bringing in Sameshima. Ibuki would like to see you both back at Kamuro Castle."

Back at Kamuro Castle, Ibuki began to speak to both Yuuto and Shiina. "Thank you for bringing in Sameshima. He really didn't want to come back here... and I think you, Yuuto-san, must have heard that argument we both had. Anyway, it's also true that although you've done a lot for us for the last few days, we don't expect anything in return... just your kindness. Here's your reward, Yuuto-san and Shiina-san."

Ibuki gave Yuuto and Shiina ¥140,000 as a reward for capturing Sameshima. Yuuto began to look in the folder for another Hitman to capture. Now, there is both the blue "Ayase Family" stamp and the purple "Amamiya Family" stamp on Sameshima's profile, stating that they both captured him. Now, there was an unstamped profile that he noticed... it's one on a possible foreigner nicknamed "Lorentz, the Panther of Corsica". He's wanted in certain countries of the world and is visiting Kamurocho on business... but who knows what kind of business he does with yakuza...

Yuuto closed the folder and walked to Shiina. "Ready to hunt another Hitman, Shiina?" he asked

Shiina nods with confidence and they both left Kamuro Castle.

Yuuto and Shiina both walked north to the Millennium Tower area on Taihei Boulevard. Then, they noticed a white ten-gallon hat-wearing man in a garden area near the Millennium Tower. They walked up to him and the man said, "Huh? What are you two doing here?"

"Are you Lorentz?" Shiina asked, "Are you the one they call 'The Panther of Corsica'?"

"Yeah, so?" the man spoke in a near Italian accent as if he spoke like an Italian mafia member.

"Hmm... a foreigner, huh?" Yuuto said, "I assume you went to pester some yakuza, right?"

"Yeah. Probably." Lorentz replies, "Why do you want to know?"

"We're a couple of kids who think that you're in trouble by bothering yakuza." Yuuto insists

"Geez. You two have an odd method of showing your faces onto mine." Lorentz replied, "I mean... Look at you! You two are far too young to go after guys like me!"

"Don't make us fight you." Shiina sighed then cried out, "I really don't like the way you treat us just now!"

"Well, then..." Lorentz cried, "How's about I treat you nicely... with my blade, huh?" And he took out his katana.

"Shiina," Yuuto said, "I don't think words can get through to him. Let's beat him with our weapons."

Shiina was downhearted since Lorentz mocked her, but Yuuto's words have brightened her up. She nods at Yuuto and took out her Dragon Naginata Spear that Bai Ren gave her. Yuuto pulled out his Fine Steel Dachi, which is the weapon that he used against Sameshima. The blade is curved and is just as long as Lorentz's katana.

Lorentz thrusted the katana forward, but Yuuto evaded the attack. "Wait..." Yuuto thought, "I want to try something."

Yuuto disarmed his Dachi and stood there. "Yuuto!" Shiina cried, "What are you doing?"

Lorentz thrusted forward for an attack... until Yuuto got under his arms and threw him down!

"Shit!" Lorentz cried as he got up while Yuuto armed himself with the Fine Steel Dachi again. Shiina swung the Naginata spear hitting Lorentz's head and as a result, made him dizzy. Yuuto then slashed Lorentz three times, dropping him to the floor.

Lorentz growled as he got up. "You're good, kids... But watch this!" Lorentz did a straight slash attack and a spinning slash attack, hitting both Yuuto and Shiina's midsections.

Shiina poked Lorentz with the spear, tripped him down by spinning it low and pounded the blade onto his midsection. Yuuto took advantage of Lorentz being down by stomping on his head.

"Shit!" Lorentz cried as he rose up. He kicked Yuuto and tried to slash upwards, but Yuuto blocked the strike with his own Dachi. Shiina got close to Lorentz, did two slashes and a kick which knocked him down.

Yuuto quickly disarmed his Dachi, and grabbed Lorentz's leg... only to be kicked free and Lorentz got up. Yuuto armed himself quickly and landed three stylized slashes on Lorentz's body, bringing him down.

"Shit!" Lorentz cried as he got up. Shiina dashed at Lorentz, rapidly spinning her spear, hitting him at the blade, kicked him in the gut and gave a quick slash to the body. Yuuto quickly disarmed the Dachi and gave a quick punch... and Lorentz slumped down.

Yuuto felt the aura coming back as time slows down. He got into a horse stance, screamed... and rose up.

Yuuto rushed at Lorentz and gave him a knee to the face. Lorentz staggered backwards a bit. Yuuto came up close, gripped Lorentz's shoulder and... POW! Lorentz is brought down by a headbutt from Yuuto.

"Dammit..." Lorentz cried as he got up slowly, "You kids... are strong."

"So, spill it." Shiina said, "Why did you join the Hitmen?"

"Ugh..." Lorentz answers, "I wanted to start a mob here in Japan and I kept hassling yakuza members to join in. Nobody wanted to take me as a serious person, so I hated them since and as such, I joined their little gang."

"And did you have something to do with Haruka Nogizaka's kidnapping?" Yuuto asks

"No." Lorentz answers, "I have never even heard of that family."

Yuuto sighs in disgust. Then, Lorentz said, "Look. I gotta be honest with you."

"Hm?" Shiina said, "What is it?"

"I'm a member of the Rizzuto Crime Family from Canada." Lorentz said, "However, I did some stupid shit and... I'm wanted in all the countries in the Western Hemisphere! If I get extradited back to the U.S. or even Canada, the police will lock me up for sure! Ugh... I hate my life."

Yuuto then gave it a quick thought. Then, he said, "We have to be honest with you."

"Huh?" Lorentz said,

"We're people from the Straight Life Association." Yuuto said, "It's a group that takes care of men whose lives are ruined because they were involved or got mixed up in the life of crime. I know some people who can get your life back together. Would you like that?"

Lorentz bows happily, "Oh yeah! Sure! Get me into that club, huh?"

"OK." Yuuto said and then he pulls out his cell to call Ibuki.

A few minutes later, Lorentz was taken to Kamuro Castle. A worker from the Straight Life Association said, "Thank you for bringing in Lorentz. Ibuki would like to see you both back at Kamuro Castle."

Back at Kamuro Castle, Ibuki began to speak to both Yuuto and Shiina. "Thank you for bringing in Lorentz. He must have done something really wrong in Canada. If he feels like coming back home, we'll make sure we let the proper authorities know that he's no longer involved in the life that he once had. Here's your reward, Yuuto-san and Shiina-san."

Ibuki gave Yuuto and Shiina ¥130,000 as a reward for capturing Lorentz. Yuuto began to look in the folder for another Hitman to capture. The good news is that now, there is both the blue "Ayase Family" stamp and the purple "Amamiya Family" stamp on Lorentz's profile. The bad news is... there are no more Hitmen to capture at the moment.

He put down the folder and said, "Hey, Shiina! Want to have dinner at Kanrai?"

"Sure!" Shiina happily responds and they left Kamuro Castle to enjoy their happy night in Kamurocho.


	7. The Nogizaka Dragon

Chapter 7: The Nogizaka Dragon

Yuuto found himself in a dark clouded realm. He had his dark blue suit on and he is walking around, asking himself "What is this…? Where… am I?"

He continued to walk around for a bit, until… he found a dark figure. He asks, "Who are you?"

The figure did not respond. "Hey! I'm talking to you!" Yuuto cried out again

Then, Yuuto walked on over to where the figure is. Little did he know that the figure is walking towards him as well. Then, he gasped in shock when he saw what the figure is… himself, but he is shirtless. "Is that… me?" he thought

He turned around. So did his 'clone'… to reveal his dragon and cross tattoo that Utabori did a couple days ago. "How can that be?" the real Yuuto asked himself, "I have the same tattoo as… what appears to be me."

Then, his 'clone' grinned… but he gave an evil grin to Yuuto. He turns his head facing the dark clouds again. "Hey." Yuuto began to say, "What is it?"

Then, he turned around to reveal… the fully undressed and naked… Haruka Nogizaka. "Haruka!" Yuuto cried,

The 'evil clone' of Yuuto is holding the body of a long-haired blond girl with brown eyes. She began to cry, "Yuuto-san! Help me! Please save me!"

Yuuto tried to punch his clone, but… his clone gripped Yuuto's right fist. He gripped it so hard that Yuuto began to cry out himself! The clone then pushed Yuuto's fist and his body along with it to the side. Yuuto was left whimpering on the floor.

The clone chuckled evilly and… he gripped Haruka's throat, leaving her to choke to death. Yuuto looked up to see Haruka in danger. "Haruka!" he began to cry,

"Yu… Yuuto-san!" Haruka began to cry as his evil self continued to strangle her.

Yuuto tried to get up, but the harsh grip that he had endured kept him down. The pain he endured was like a guillotine to the head of a dead prisoner. The evil clone of Yuuto then lowered Haruka and he slowly gripped her head. "Yu-Yuuto-san!" Haruka cried, "Please get up! Please! Save me!"

She then gasps at the two hands of her potential killer. And then… SNAP! The evil Yuuto broke her neck. He then shut her eyes, and tossed her lifeless body to the side! He then grinned to his weak real self.

Yuuto then screamed out, "NO!"

He awakened from his hotel room to continue screaming. Shiina also awakened from her bed… to find Yuuto crying. "Yuuto!" she cried, "Yuuto! Are you OK?"

He kept panting and crying. "It's OK, Yuuto." Shiina comforted him as she hugged him, "It's going to be OK. Haruka will be saved…"

His panting and tears were slowly, but surely, deteriorating. "If you need a break…" she continues, "Go take a walk. Just try to calm yourself down."

As soon as Yuuto got outside in his Hakujou Private Academy uniform, his phone rang. It was Gentou. He picked it up. "Hello?" he said

"Yuuto!" Gentou began yelling, "What the hell have you been up to?"

"Still… finding clues on Haruka's disappearance." Yuuto answers, trying hard not to be too stressed out

"You have been slacking off, haven't you?" Gentou yells back, "I bet you were hitting the show pubs and drinking like a fish! I am very disappointed in you, Yuuto! We have only one day left before Haruka dies! And whose fault it'll be? Yours! Either straighten up or come home now!"

"NO!" Yuuto yells, "I'm going to save her, no matter what it takes! I'm going to fight through this and I'm not going to quit until she is safe!" And he hangs up his phone without a second thought.

Yuuto began to be extremely stressed out, but just then, he receives another phone call. This time, it was the tattoo artist, Utabori. "Hello?" he said

"Ah, Ayase-san." Utabori said, "I have the design of your lost love, Haruka Nogizaka, ready. Come by the tattoo parlour whenever you're ready."

"OK, Utabori-san." Yuuto responds, "I'll be right there." And he hangs up the phone.

Yuuto ran east up to Senryo Avenue from Shichifuku Street. He then turned right to head south on Senryo, right up to the alleyway. He went in the alley and right into the Ryuujin Building.

Yuuto walked inside and found Utabori. He quickly bows in respect and said, "Good morning."

"Ah, good morning, Ayase-san." Utabori replies back, "You do not feel too well. What is going on?"

"I'm sorry, Utabori-san." Yuuto answers, "I had a nightmare last night and… I feel extremely stressed. I got angry at someone over the phone."

"Ah. I see." Utabori said, "Would you like to tell me about it while I get your tattoo done?"

"Please." Yuuto said, "I would like you to hear your thoughts on that."

As Utabori drew the figure of Haruka Nogizaka on Yuuto's back, Yuuto explained the nightmare to him. After hearing it, Utabori responded, "I see what you're going through. A raging volcano can make a town burn in flames. A calm volcano can keep the lava flowing inside. When a person is angry, he or she acts like a volcano and can burn down everyone he or she loves. Soon, he or she may burn down everyone in the city with his or her consumed anger. If one is a calm volcano, he can be stronger in the heart."

A few hours later, Yuuto walked out of the Ryuujin Building and took off his shirt for a bit. The tattoo design now had Haruka in what appears to be a wedding dress. Her hair had golden roses. She is positioned in front of the dragon and the Christian cross that Utabori did on Yuuto earlier.

"Wow…" Yuuto thought in admittance, "Utabori handled Haruka's design very nicely. I just hope she is still alive…"

He then decides to take a walk north, heading out of the alleyway right to Taihei Boulevard East. He then slowly walked west right up to Tenkaichi Street. He then walked south up to a host club called Stardust, and then… he noticed a drunkard harassing a school girl in a small alley. He thought, "Hm? What's this?" And he whips out his cellphone.

The drunkard said as he walked around in an odd fashion, "Hey… Come on, little one… Please take me… to your place…"

The school girl said politely, "Please let me be."

The drunkard then asked, "What kind of cosplay bar do you work at, huh?"

The school girl answers, "I don't work at those places… I'm just going home from school."

The drunkard tries to grab her, but he missed as she moved away. He said, "Hey, hold up…" And then… The drunkard grabbed her… upper private area from behind. The school girl dropped her bag as the drunkard giggled when he grabbed her… melons. And then… the school girl screamed so loud that everyone started to notice. Then, she looked at the drunkard and yelled, "You asshole!"

The drunkard gasped. The girl elbowed the drunkard's face, grabbed his arm, snapped it in half and tossed him right into the pile of garbage bags close to the alley. She panted and heaved. Then, she gasped and cried out, "Oh my!" The school girl picked up the bag and ran off. Yuuto thought as he got the good photos, "That girl… She reversed the drunkard's grapple in a fitting rage!"

Yuuto then thought "I've got it!" Then, he rammed his cellphone buttons like mad like he did with the past instances he did this. Then, he slams down the button to confirm.

In his mind, Yuuto sees himself grappled from behind by an opponent. He elbows him to the face, grabbed his arm, spun around and snapped it in half. Yuuto then lifts up the broken arm and tosses his opponent down to the floor.

Yuuto ran back to the Weapons Van near Beam and bought another Bulletproof Vest for Shiina.

Afterwards, Yuuto decides to walk back to Kamuro Castle to continue his mission.

Yuuto went inside Kamuro Castle and spoke to Ibuki. "Good afternoon." Ibuki said, "What do you need, Yuuto-san?"

"Boss!" someone cried, "Are you all right?" In came a worker from the Straight Life Association, tired from running.

"What is it?" Ibuki asked

"There's someone outside Kamuro Castle." The worker explains, "Apparently, he wants to have a word with you."

"Let's go take a look." Ibuki said and he led Yuuto and the worker outside.

Ibuki, Yuuto and the worker hid in the corner and noticed a man with a brown jacket and wearing sunglasses yelling. "Hey! Come out, Ibuki!" the man cried, "I've got a bone to pick with you!"

"I know that man." Ibuki whispered, "That's the man known as Sentetsu, the Wild Stallion of Kamurocho. He goes around setting fireworks and causing havoc around yakuza territory. I'm a bit surprised he's here. Yuuto-san, you think you can calm him down a bit?"

Yuuto bows and replies, "You got it, Ibuki-san."

Then, Yuuto walked over to Sentetsu and said, "Hey! What's going on here?"

"Huh?" Sentetsu cried, "Who the fuck are you? And where the fuck is Ibuki?"

"I'm nobody special." Yuuto answers, "And Ibuki is rather busy."

"I don't give a rat's ass how busy he is!" Sentetsu yells, "Either you get him to come out here or I smoke your ass!"

"Forget it!" Yuuto cried, "With that attitude, you won't get what you want!"

"Fine!" Sentetsu yells, "It's time I go pyrotechnical on your sorry ass!" He pulls out his sub-machine gun. He quickly fired. The bullets were flash bangs, but Yuuto managed to evade the hail of fireworks. Yuuto grabbed Sentetsu by the collar and bashed him in the face and in the gut before letting go. Sentetsu fired again. This time, the flash bangs hit Yuuto in the midsection, knocking him down.

"Oww…" Yuuto thought as he got up. He quickly grabbed Sentetsu by the collar and while he struggled to throw him down, Yuuto managed to flip him over his shoulder and down on the floor. Yuuto then gave Sentetsu a quick stomp.

"C-Crap!" Sentetsu cried as he got up. Sentetsu fired his sub-machine gun again. The bullets struck Yuuto in the gut and he was knocked down again. "Man!" Yuuto thought, "This is annoying! I'll make him pay for this!"

Yuuto got up and as Sentetsu fired his weapon, he got behind Sentetsu and did his hammer hook combo strike. Sentetsu did not even flinch. "But at least he's taking shots." Yuuto thought

Yuuto kept behind Sentetsu and delivered each punch and each kick on him as the sub-machine gun kept hailing flash bang-type bullets. Then, Yuuto got in front of Sentetsu, sidestepped the sub-machine gun, grabbed Sentetsu's armed hand, slapped him with his right hand and bashed him with his palm.

"C-Crap!" Sentetsu cried as tried firing again; only to get interrupted by a quick kick… and he slouched down.

Yuuto felt the pink aura coming back. He got into a horse stance and screamed. Then, he rose up.

Yuuto ran to Sentetsu and gave him a knee to the face. Sentetsu staggered backwards a bit. Yuuto walked up to Sentetsu, gripped his shoulder and… POW! He smashed Sentetsu with a huge headbutt.

"Oww…" Sentetsu cried as he got up slowly. "W… Who are you?"

"I'm just a plain high-school student…" Yuuto answered,

"Yuuto-san!" Ibuki cried as he ran up

"Oh! Ibuki!" Yuuto cried, "What is it?"

Ibuki said, "Leave the questioning to Sentetsu to me this time. I'll ask him what we need to know."

A few minutes later, inside Kamuro Castle, Ibuki began to speak to Yuuto. "So I spoke to Sentetsu and here's what we know. Sentetsu joined the Hitmen because he did not like it here. I believe it was the direction on how we're treating him is at fault. I'll make sure to correct it. He was hired by the Nogizaka maids for a fireworks display at Haruka's birthday party… but one of his creations was botched up for unknown reasons. Because of this, he was let go. Here's your reward, Yuuto-san."

Ibuki gave Yuuto ¥150,000 as a reward for calming down Sentetsu.

Yuuto looked in the folder for another Hitman to find. When he looked inside, he gasped as he found someone with the exact same name as him… The Hitman next on the docket is named "Supernova Avenger Yuuto". He just joined the Hitmen, but has quickly become a rising star from within the group. He was last seen at a park.

"Oh no…" Yuuto thought, starting to cringe at the feeling that he might fight against his 'evil' self. "I just hope that nightmare isn't true…"

"Yuuto?" someone asks from behind, "Are you OK?"

It was Shiina. Yuuto tried to put a straight face, and said, "Yeah… I'll be OK… Umm... Here's something I bought at the Weapons Van." He gave her the Bulletproof Vest he bought at the Weapons Van near Beam.

She looked at it and said, "Thanks, Yuuto! I can certainly use this!" She then put on the vest under her Hakujou Private Academy uniform.

Yuuto then said, "Come with me, Shiina."

"OK." Shiina said, feeling a bit concerned for Yuuto, but she knows that she got a useful item from him. They both headed out to find "Hitman Yuuto".

Yuuto felt a bit queasy upon reading about his bad version of himself. As he and Shiina went around Kamurocho in search of "Hitman Yuuto", he was looking down on the ground, sadly. Shiina looked across and asked "What is it?"

Yuuto sighs sadly and said, "I had a nightmare last night."

"What is it all about?" Shiina asked

"I was looking at someone..." Yuuto said, "When I walked towards him, I discovered... that person... was me."

"Huh?" Shiina said, now interested, "What do you mean by this?"

"He looks like me. He smells like me. We both turned around and I saw the dragon tattoo that Utabori made. I don't think you have seen the tattoo on my back." Yuuto explains, "But unlike me, he has an evil grin on his face. At one point, he gripped the throat of someone... Haruka Nogizaka."

"What?" Shiina cried out,

Yuuto continued, "He put her body in front of me and... when he was still grinning like an insane lunatic, I watched him break her neck!" Those last words made him angry with fury.

He screamed and... then he panted. "Yuuto..." Shiina began, "I know you and Haruka better than anyone. I know you don't have a mean bone in your body."

"I... I don't know." Yuuto sniffled, still panting

"Look." Shiina said, "Why don't we go to a park for a little while? We can calm down for a bit and then we find 'Hitman Yuuto'."

"Yeah..." Yuuto agreed, still feeling the effects of the nightmare. "I can try that."

They were on Shichifuku Street and on that street is the Children's Park. So, they made their way there. Upon arrival, they heard whistling coming from the benches. "Wooooh!" a guy said, taking notice of Shiina's beautiful and slender figure. "You know if I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put U and I together, babe."

Shiina scoffed at the street punk, "You are so cheesy. Leave me alone."

"Come on, babe!" another street punk called out, "Ditch your man and come with us!"

Yuuto, despite being being in tears, spoke up and said, "She goes with me... you assholes!"

"Huh?" a third street punk cried out

"OK, bitch." the street punk leader called out, "We'll get blood out of your eyes, then!" And he ran to Yuuto, only to meet the palm of Shiina Amamiya.

"Leave Yuuto and me... alone!" she threatened, "But, if you want to fight... I'll make sure you and your friends fall face down so you won't look at me the same again!"

The street punk leader felt turned on as he got up. "Ahh... I love that fire, babe!" he said, "OK, boys! Go easy on the cute one here... and make sure her man never walks again!"

Yuuto struggled to put his emotions aside. But, he went into his fighting stance. He pounded on the third street punk with his 3-punch-2-kick-and-spin-kick combo. He propped the punk up and took him out with his jab-under hook-and-uppercut combo.

Shiina was grabbed from behind by the leader, but Yuuto saw the attempted grab and did a running drop kick on the leader, forcing him to let go. Just then, he was grabbed from behind, but he remembered something.

Yuuto gave the punk an elbow to the face, forcing him to let go, spun around grabbing the punk's arm and snapped it in two! Then, Yuuto raised up the punk's arm and threw him down over his body.

Yuuto and Shiina focused on the leader. Both kids did their combo attacks, which made the leader drop on all fours.

All three punks were indeed face-down on the floor... and could not get up any more. "When I said they'll fall face down," Shiina said, "I didn't mean it literally."

Someone began to laugh. In came a punk that looked exactly like Yuuto... the difference is that instead of wearing Yuuto's Hakujou Private Academy uniform, the punk had on a black puffy jacket and blue jeans. "So, you're the team the school calls, the Hakujou Hitman Hunters, Yuuto Ayase and Shiina Amamiya."

Yuuto gasps and notices his near-twin self. "It's him!" he thought, "He's the guy in my nightmare!"

"I'm the one Kamurocho calls, the Supernova Avenger, Yuuto." the cocky twin cried out

"I hear talk going around these streets that you two are going to risk your lives searching for your classmate, Haruka Nogizaka." the punk Yuuto said

Both the hero Yuuto and Shiina gasped. "I won't waste my time letting you know how's she doing." the punk Yuuto said, "But, here's what I am going to do. I'm going to beat you and your little friend here... and I'm going to go wild on her and your little girlfriend!" He emphasized the last point by pointing at Shiina.

"Ugh! You wish!" Shiina cried, "Come on, Yuuto! Let's teach him a lesson!"

But Yuuto was frozen in fear. He knew it was the exact same person in his nightmare he had a night ago. "Yuuto! Come on!" Shiina cries, "Snap out of it! We gotta take this guy out! I know he looks like you, smells like you and... maybe dresses like you... But he's not you!"

Yuuto's mind is racing on the of the punk Yuuto and the Yuuto in his nightmare, who snapped Haruka's neck, leaving her to die. Then... he roared... like a dragon.

And he did a running drop kick on the punk Yuuto! "I hope Yuuto's going to be OK..." Shiina thought as she got into her fighting stance.

The hero Yuuto grabbed the punk Yuuto, gripped him up in the air and... POW! He slammed his face to the ground.

"Ugh..." the punk Yuuto cried as he got up. He quickly took out his gun and shot Yuuto in the shoulder. The hero Yuuto did a quick jab, only to miss the punk Yuuto. He dodged backwards, but he did not see Shiina behind him. She did a jumping elbow and knee strike, hitting the punk Yuuto. The hero Yuuto rushed to his punk self and hit him with his 3-punch-and-hammer-hook combo.

"You pricks..." the punk Yuuto cried, "I'm the real Yuuto around here! Try some of this!" He rapidly shot his gun at Yuuto and Shiina, knocking them down.

Shiina thought, "Yuuto was right to give me that Bulletproof Vest. I could have been shot dead!"

Shiina got up while Yuuto did a quick down reversal kick on the punk Yuuto before getting up.

The punk Yuuto took the jab from the hero Yuuto, but blocked the rest of his strikes. The punk did a spinning kick on Yuuto's gut and shot him in the chest. Shiina hit the punk Yuuto with a punch, palm and then she grabbed his head and smashed him with a jumping knee strike.

While the hero Yuuto stomped on the punk Yuuto, Shiina taunted, "I'll never go out with you!"

"You... bitch!" The punk Yuuto cried as he got up. He delivered two gun bashes on Shiina and as the hero Yuuto began striking at the punk Yuuto, he missed and got dizzy from a bash from his pistol.

The punk Yuuto grabbed Shiina's midsection. The hero Yuuto quickly recovered and forced the punk Yuuto to let go with a swift roundhouse kick.

"You're annoying me, Yuuto!" the punk Yuuto cried out and bashed the hero Yuuto with a pistol whip that... made his nose bleed. Then, the punk Yuuto rapidly shot Shiina and the hero Yuuto.

The hero Yuuto found himself bleeding from his nose and face, after a bullet nearly grazed his face, as he got up. The hero Yuuto grabbed the punk Yuuto and threw him over his shoulder. Shiina did a spinning flip that put her left heel on the punk Yuuto's midsection.

"Ugh..." the punk Yuuto cried as he got up, then the hero Yuuto punched the punk and he began to kneel down.

The heavenly pink energy came back to the hero Yuuto. He got into a horse stance and screamed. And then he rose up.

The hero Yuuto picked up the punk Yuuto and tossed him up in mid-air. Then, the hero Yuuto jumped up and... POW! He delivered a drop kick that caused the punk Yuuto to fly and drop down.

The punk Yuuto growled as he got up. "I'm still standing, you punk ass bitch!" He tried to deliver a pistol whip, but... POW! It was reversed by the hero Yuuto's Toraotoshi! Then, the hero Yuuto ran up to the downed punk Yuuto and savagely punched his face.

The punk Yuuto could not get up anymore. The hero Yuuto began to pant... and he was about to deliver the finishing blow until...

"Yuuto! That's enough!" Shiina shouted at him, getting in his way.

The hero Yuuto began to cry. Shiina was really concerned about her good friend. "It's going to be fine, Yuuto. I know how you feel... but, listen to me. What he said about Haruka is not true. It's going to be OK." And she hugged Yuuto tightly.

"Your..." the punk Yuuto cried, "Your bitch is... still alive! Our boss won't kill her until... he gets money's worth. I hooked up thinking I can ride with the cool boys... who hate yakuza. When I got the info on your girl, Haruka... I was excited to... bring her to the boss... Funny how... She is good friends with you two. I should let the boss know... who is rescuing your girl..."

"No, you are not." Shina said, letting go of the emotionally-hurt Yuuto for a bit. "We're taking you in right away. We're gonna find more of you guys and get Haruka to safety... and there's not a thing you can do about it." And she pulls out her cell to call Ibuki...

A few minutes later, the punk Yuuto was taken to Kamuro Castle. A worker from the Straight Life Association said, "Thank you for bringing in Hitman Yuuto. Ibuki would like to see you both back at Kamuro Castle."

Back at Kamuro Castle, Ibuki began to speak to both Yuuto and Shiina. "Thank you for bringing in Hitman Yuuto. I think now you can let go of your nightmare, Yuuto-san. Your twin will probably do someting non-lethal for your school. Shiina Here's your reward, Yuuto-san and Shiina-san."

Ibuki gave Yuuto and Shiina ¥180,000 for capturing the Hitman Yuuto. Yuuto began to breathe in. Then, he looked at Shiina and said, "Thanks, Shiina. I'm glad to hear that Haruka will be OK. Let's keep it going, yes?"

"Oh, yes!" Shiina said happily, "I'm glad you feel much better, Yuuto."

Then, he looked in the folder for another Hitman to find and bring in. Next on the docket is an elite Hitman named "Executive Avenger Gohren". He's an executive director of an unknown firm, but there are rumours circulating that he may have hired a large number of grunts. The file also says that he might have a vendetta against other families in the Tojo Clan. He is currently hiding in an office somewhere in Kamurocho.

"Ready, Shiina?" Yuuto asks

"Oh, yes!" Shiina said with confidence and they both left Kamuro Castle to hunt down Gohren.

Yuuto and Shiina ran out of the alleyway and went north on Pink Street. He stopped and said, "I need to go to the Weapons Van. I need some weapons."

"OK." Shiina said and followed him to the van near Beam on Pink Street.

Yuuto went inside and said to the dealer, "I would like a pair of Brass Knuckles and an Evergreen Kodachi."

"Sure, kid." the dealer said, "That'll be ¥8,400."

Yuuto paid the dealer and he was given the Brass Knuckles and the Evergreen Kodachi. He then left the Weapons Van.

Once he made it outside, Yuuto said, "I have to go to Beam for a second. Please wait here, Shiina."

"OK." Shiina said as he went inside.

Yuuto went to the counter and asked the shopkeeper, "I would like... "All Japan Taiko Tour", "Dragon – Explosive Touch" and... "Hangers for Beginners."

"Sure, kid." the shopkeeper said, "That'll be ¥11,400."

Yuuto paid the shopkeeper and received the three DVD's. He immediately left Beam afterwards.

Once he got outside, Yuuto said, "I know a spot where our weapons can be repaired."

"OK. Let's head there, then." Shiina agreed and followed Yuuto. He led her to a shop his sister, Ruko, called him about before. It is Works Kamiyama.

They both went inside. Yuuto bowed and said, "Good evening, Kamiyama-san."

"Ah!" Renji cried, "G-Good evening, Yuuto-san! W-What do you need?"

"Can you repair a weapon for me?" Yuuto asked and gave him the Fine Steel Dachi.

"S-Sure, Yuuto-san." Renji replied, "¥70,000, please."

"OK." Yuuto said and paid the money. He then asked, "Can we look around for a bit?"

"S-Sure." Renji said, "Look all y-you want. I'll be here w-when you need anything." He then got to work on Yuuto's Dachi.

Yuuto and Shiina looked around for a while. Then, they noticed a set of brass knuckles called "Ogre Knuckles". It is said that this set of brass knuckles are more powerful than the conventional set of brass knuckles. "That is nice, don't you think?" Shiina said

"Oh yes." Yuuto agreed, "Do you want a pair?"

"Sure!" Shiina said happily

Yuuto didn't want to bother Renji just yet. He needed to finish repairing his weapon, so he decided to wait.

A few minutes have passed. Renji said, "All done, Y-Yuuto-san." He gave the fully repaired Fine Steel Dachi back to Yuuto.

"Thank you very much, Kamiyama-san." Yuuto replied politely, then he asked, "Can I have a pair of Ogre Knuckles, a Black Book and maybe... a White Book?"

"S-Sure!" Renji replied, "¥131,200 please."

"OK." Yuuto said and paid for the weapons and books.

"T-Thank you very much." Renji said and gave the materials to Yuuto. Yuuto gave one pair of Ogre Knuckles to Shiina. He looked at the books.

"Ooh!" Yuuto thought, "When I wield a sword, I can counter an attempted slash and slash back at the opponent multiple times."

Yuuto looked further. He thought, "I can put my sword, focus and then make a huge slash to my opponent from far away."

Yuuto looked further. He thought, "With a dagger, I can cut down four opponents while running. Pretty useful."

Then, he and Shiina left Renji to his business.

When the two went outside, they ran out of the alley and ran south on Senryo Avenue. Then, right when they got close to a singing parlour called Karaoke Kan, they noticed two grey-suited men. Yuuto walked up to one and said, "Excuse me, but have you seen someone named Gohren?"

"Huh?" one of the grey-suited men said, "Who the hell are you two?"

"We're here to ask him something." Shiina said

"We'll decide if it's OK to let you talk to our boss." the other grey-suited man said, "Now, shove off before I beat your ass."

"We did not want to do this, but you leave us no choice." Yuuto said and both he and Shiina got into their fighting poses.

"OK, then..." the first grey-suited man said, "You asked for it! Time to die, kiddies!"

Yuuto rushed at the first grey-suited man with a Sabakiuchi-style headbutt. He then did his 2-punch-body-and-knee combo attack. Shiina hit the second grey-suited man with a charging palm.

Yuuto propped his man up while Shiina grabbed hers by the collar. Yuuto then grabbed his grey-suited man by the collar. Shiina pulled her target forward and Yuuto pulled his via headlock and... POW! Both men collided with each other, falling to the floor. "Get out!" Yuuto and Shiina both cried out

The first grey-suited man said, weakly, "Gohren's... inside. You... have our permission... to go."

Yuuto and Shiina nodded and went inside.

Upon entry in an office, which has two desks on the side wall and varying calendars posted on the wall, they found a man dressed in a black suit with a grey shirt underneath. His hair was nicely gelled and brown like chocolate.

"Good evening. My name is Gohren." He spoke, "How are you this evening?"

"We want to ask you some questions about a few things." Shiina answers

"About what?" Gohren asks

"We heard that you may be involved in a crime-related spree involving yakuza." Yuuto said,

"Why would you want to know that?" Gohren asked

"We just wanted to make sure you are not doing anything fishy like..." Yuuto said, "...starting a family of ex-yakuza gangsters."

"And going after yakuza families within big groups like the Tojo Clan." Shiina said

"Hmm..." Gohren said, "I see your point." And then he pushed a button. "I'll explain everything in detail..."

Just then, 6 men rushed into the office at Gohren's side. Then, Gohren yelled, "...after you take a long nap in Tokyo Bay!"

Yuuto went after the fat purple suit man and hit him with his 3-punch-2-kick-and-spin-kick combo. The fat man hit a wall and dropped to the floor. Then... Yuuto stepped on his face and jumped on it!

Yuuto then grabbed a red suit man and threw him over his shoulder, hitting a grey suit man. Shiina was grabbed from behind by a yellow suit man and took shots from a red suit man in a boxing stance. Yuuto rushed over, grabbed the boxing-stanced man by the collar and slammed and bashed his head on a desk!

Yuuto made the yellow suit man let go after hitting him with a 3-punch-and-hammer-hook combo attack. The yellow suit man charged up for a Haymaker punch, but... POW! Yuuto reversed it with a Muay Thai-like Ukenageshi reversal, which took the man out. Shiina hit the green suit man with a palm, an elbow and a spin kick. Yuuto came to her aid and finished him with a Sabakiuchi-style punch.

"Hey!" Shiina giggled, "He was mine! But thanks, anyway."

"Well, that's one less gangster to worry about." Yuuto laughs

Then, Yuuto grabbed the blue suit man by the collar, rammed his face to the wall, which made him kneel and... POW! Yuuto bashed the man's head with his knee driving the face to the wall... and he was knocked out.

The grey suit man grew scared of both Yuuto and Shiina. Yuuto rushed over and gave him a drop kick. Yuuto got up and stomped on the grey suit man. The grey suit man got up only to be grabbed by Yuuto by the collar and be punched in the face, in the gut and in the face once more. He was down and out.

Gohren began to be a bit scared. "Please... spare me! I'll talk! I'll talk!" he cried out

"OK." Yuuto said as he and Shiina faced him. "Tell us how you are an executive Hitman."

"You see..." Gohren started but before Yuuto and Shiina could hear anything coming from Gohren's mouth... they were knocked out by a big henchman! Gohren chuckled evilly.

Yuuto awakened... to find himself at the top of the Millennium Tower. Shiina was still knocked out. Yuuto said, "Shiina! Get up!"

Shiina slowly awakened. "Where... are we?" she asked weakly

"We're on top of the Millennium Tower." Yuuto answered

"Why is that?" Shiina asked

Someone chuckled. Yuuto turned to face Gohren, but he was not alone. Behind Gohren are 65 of his best ex-yakuza gangsters.

"You see," Gohren said, "It's true. I quickly rose to executive status because I hit yakuza families hard. I hit them hard enough to force them to leave the business forever. As a result, I did want to start a family. But, this family was to terrorize various families within the Tojo Clan."

Shiina slowly got up... and she was awed by the 65 ex-yakuza gangsters. "We're going to come at them, demanding money... power... and respect."

"But why?" Shiina asked

"Because we have been disenfranchised by the Tojo for so long," Gohren continued, "That it's time we strike back at them... And you two are in a stroke of luck."

"Huh?" Yuuto and Shiina said

"Let me show you how powerful my family can be." Gohren said and waved his arm forward at the two students. All 65 men crowded around Yuuto and Shiina.

"Looks like the odds are stacked against us." Yuuto said,

"It's perfect!" Shiina cried, brimming with confidence, "We can do it, Yuuto!"

Yuuto nods then yells, "Do you all want to die tonight?"

Shiina cries, "Don't you hold back on us!"

Then, they both yelled, "BRING IT ON!"

The first ten men circled around Yuuto and Shiina. Yuuto took out three men with his 3-punch-and-2-kick-and-spin-kick combo strike. In came three more men: a fat one, one carrying a knife and one in a boxing stance. Shiina already took one of her men out with her elbow, palm and a jumping knee after grabbing him.

"Don't just stand there!" Gohren yells, "Kill them!"

The knife-wielding gangster thrusted his piece at Yuuto... only to be reversed by the Ukenageshi. Then, Yuuto focused his heavenly energy on his right leg, did a spin jump and... knocked the gangster out with his leg!

Another gangster jumped in the fray: a yellow suit man. Shiina did a jumping elbow and knee strike to a gangster, and finished him off with an upper-and-sky-kick combo strike. A stun gun-wielding gangster came in... and shocked Shiina with his stun gun.

After Yuuto threw the boxing-stanced gangster over his shoulder, he saw Shiina get shocked. He ran over, quickly arming himself with the Evergreen Kodachi and swiftly sliced four gangsters that were in his path!

Four new men jumped in the fray: one with a pistol in his hand, one in a kickboxing stance, a fat one holding a sledgehammer and one holding a katana. Yuuto quickly sliced down the stun gun-toting gangster

"Thanks, Yuuto." Shiina said as she got up. Yuuto saw a flying knee at his direction and... he quickly reversed it with a Toraotoshi, sending the kickboxing gangster flying at his allies, knocking them down for a bit.

Both Yuuto and Shiina nodded and armed themselves with their signature weapons: Yuuto had his Fine Steel Dachi while Shiina had her Dragon Naginata Spear. Yuuto sheathed his Dachi and focused. He shut his eyes... and opened them. He rushed to the fat sledgehammer-wielding gangster, slowly unsheathing his Dachi and... SLASH! While the sledgehammer was up, the fat gangster could not defend himself from Yuuto's attack and laid down, face-down while Yuuto wiped his Dachi, cleaning the blood out.

Another fat gangster took his place. Shiina smacked the katana-wielding gangster in the head, poked him on the underside and flipped the Naginata Spear, flipping him down and out.

Another katana-wielding gangster jumped in. Yuuto hacked away at two other gangsters. He evaded a shot from a pistol-toting gangster and took him out with three more slashes.

A gangster with a boxing stance came in and missed a jab, but hit Yuuto with an uppercut, sending him up, but Yuuto quickly regained his footing. He saw the kickboxing gangster he reversed his attack earlier and hacked away at him, laying him down.

Shiina spun her Naginata Spear over the heads of three gangsters making them dizzy. She finished off two of three of them with her low sweep of her spear and the blade hitting hard on the third gangster.

Three more gangsters jumped in: a normal one, a pistol-toting one and a fat one. "Yuuto! Watch out!" Shiina cried as she saw the katana-wielding gangster approach Yuuto, ready to slash him.

Yuuto reacted fast and locked swords with his, quickly disarming the gangster and hitting him with 5 stylized slashes, including a jumping slash which took him out.

Yuuto quickly took out two more gangsters with his hacking and slashing, before three more men jumped in. "Thanks, Shiina." he replied

Gohren was angry. "Come on, men! Destroy them both! They're a couple of puny students!" he yells

Yuuto signalled Shiina to disarm their weapons and… arm themselves… with nothing. Yuuto quickly took out three gangsters with his 3-punch-2-kick-and-spin-kick combo. Five men crowded around Yuuto and tried to strike Yuuto with their punches and kicks… only to be reversed by the Hajikigaeshi, after blocking the flurry of attacks.

Shiina blocked all the boxing and kickboxing attacks with her leg kneeled up. A stun gun-toting gangster ran up… and shocked Yuuto! Yuuto laid down face-down… only to play possum and kick the stun gun-armed gangster's legs! Yuuto grabbed his arm, rolled him down and popped him one in the face! He then let go of the fallen gangster's leg.

A big gangster ran and shoulder-rushed Shiina from behind! The kickboxing gangster did a low kick on the fallen Shiina. Yuuto grabbed the kickboxing gangster from behind and threw him over his shoulder, hitting the other two gangsters. A fat gangster came up to Yuuto and tried to strike from behind… only to be met by Yuuto's palm as he quickly turned around.

Shiina got up to face the same gangster which shoulder-rushed her before. Then, she saw two more gangsters slowly approach her. She blocked most of their attacks, but got her guard broken by a shoulder strike from a big gangster.

Yuuto reacted quickly and took the flying knee intended for Shiina that sent him up, but he quickly regained his footing and bashed the three gangsters around Shiina. The big gangster tried punching Yuuto… only to be punched in the gut and thrown down by Yuuto.

"Thanks, Yuuto." Shiina said while Yuuto threw the kickboxing gangster over his shoulder

"You're welcome." Yuuto replied. A stun gun-armed and a knife-wielding gangster jumped in. Yuuto reversed the stun gun strike with the Ukenageshi. Yuuto threw the stun gun user over his shoulder, hitting the knife-wielding gangster and a fat sledgehammer-armed gangster.

The fat gangster swung the sledgehammer at Yuuto, hitting him causing him to fall, but he regained his balance and bashed the fat man.

He saw Shiina getting cornered by two boxing-stanced gangsters and a kickboxing-stanced gangster. She struck down a boxer with her palm-elbow-and-spin-kick combo strike. He ran only to be grabbed by a gangster on the waist… But he reversed the grapple by breaking the gangster's head and throwing him down!

Shiina took out the other boxer with her jumping clinching knee after hitting him with her elbow and palm. She did not see a spinning kick by the kickboxer and took a shot which made her dizzy. Yuuto quickly took out the sledgehammer-armed gangster with his 2-punch-body-and-knee combo strike, before coming to her aid. He struck down the kickboxer by striking him with his 3-punch-and-hammer-hook combo. Shiina finished him with her spinning heel.

Five more gangsters came out. A big one was about to punch Yuuto until… he zipped behind him and… POW! He struck him from behind. Yuuto zipped to a fat gangster and slapped him twice which brought him down. He zipped to the boxing-stanced gangster and bashed him one in the face! Then, Yuuto zipped to the kickboxing-stanced gangster, grabbed his hand, slapped him down and slapped him in the face which sent him flying! All four men could not get up anymore.

Gohren was in awe and shock. "What… What are they?" He thought

Yuuto nodded at Shiina and they armed themselves… with the Ogre Knuckles Yuuto bought at Works Kamiyama!

Yuuto bashed out a gangster with a flurry of punches. Shiina gracefully swung her legs side-to-side, kicking the fat gangster and finished the strike hitting him in the gut.

Yuuto saw a pistol-toting gangster aiming at Shiina and ran towards him. He rolled forward… smashed the gangster's midsection with his head and finished the attack by getting up and did the overhead kick to the gunman's head, taking him out.

Shiina was crowded by three more gangsters, but she took them out by spinning her arms, with her Ogre Knuckles hitting her opponents' skulls. Yuuto quickly dispatched two more gangsters with his harsh punches.

More gangsters crowded around Yuuto and Shiina. Shiina put her fists to the floor, rolled up her body and smashed a gangster with her fists, taking him down and out. A gangster tried to punch Yuuto… only to be reversed by the Toraotoshi… and be taken out.

A big gangster with brass knuckles came out. After Shiina swung her arms down to take out a gangster, she noticed the brass knuckles-armed gangster. He bashed Shiina, breaking her guard on the first punch and smashing her on the second, which knocked her down.

Yuuto defeated a fat gangster and noticed Shiina ganged up by the brass knuckles-armed gangster, a boxing-stanced gangster and a kickboxing-stanced gangster. He ran to aid his friend and rapid-punched the brass knuckles-armed thug.

Shiina got up, but slowly… to see Yuuto beating down the brass knuckles-armed gangster. Shiina did a side-sweeping kick on the boxing-stanced gangster. The brass knuckles-armed thug tried a punch, but… POW! With a Toraotoshi reversal from Yuuto, he was flown right to the boxing-stanced thug, which took him out.

Shiina looked at the kickboxing-stanced gangster. She did a waving kick to the body and she broke his skull with a one-two punch. Yuuto ran to the brass knuckles-armed thug who was down and… stepped on his face, jumped on it and elbow-dropped on it!

When the kickboxing-stanced thug fell down, much of the remaining gangsters became extremely scared and cried out, "Aah! They're monsters! Let's get out of here, boys!" And ten of them ran away like ants.

Gohren cried, "You cowards! Come back here and fight like men!" Then he yelled at Yuuto and Shiina, "You will die here tonight, even if I have to kill you myself!"

Yuuto turned to Shiina and said, "I'll go after Gohren. Try to take out the thugs!"

"OK!" Shiina acknowledged

Yuuto and Shiina disarmed their own sets of Ogre Knuckles. Gohren pulled out his large axe. He took a big swing, but he missed Yuuto by a mile as he dodged the swing of his axe. Yuuto hammered Gohren with his 3-punch-2-kick-and-spin-kick combo. Yuuto armed himself with the Ogre Knuckles and… POW! He punched Gohren, square in the face!

Yuuto disarmed his brass knuckles as Gohren got up. Gohren tried kicking Yuuto, but Yuuto blocked the kicks and reversed one with the Hajikigaeshi leaving Gohren open. Yuuto grabbed Gohren by the collar, threw him over his shoulder and stomped on him.

Gohren got up and screamed as he took a wild swing at Yuuto, only to miss as Yuuto dodged it. Gohren tried swinging the axe again, but Yuuto dodged to the left and gave him a Sabakiuchi-style punch.

Shiina took care of two gangsters as Yuuto fought Gohren. Yuuto saw Gohren spin near his gangsters. Gohren swung the axe with force, but Yuuto dodged left. Yuuto signalled to Shiina to attack from behind.

Shiina did a spinning dodge as Gohren did a combo-like swing of his axe, missing Yuuto as he rolled. As Gohren swung his axe, Shiina attacked him with an upper-and-sky-kick combo strike. Gohren angrily reloaded his weapon. As the gangsters crowded around the students, Yuuto and Shiina used their combo attacks on him.

Gohren got up… only to slouch down. Yuuto felt the heavenly energy coming back to him. He got into a horse stance and screamed. He then rose up.

Yuuto grabbed Gohren and tossed him up in the air. Yuuto jumped up, and… POW! He drop kicked Gohren, sending him right to the three surviving gangsters and on the floor. All the men were laid out.

Gohren looked up at Yuuto and Shiina and said, "Wha… What are… high-school students… like you… doing here… in Kamurocho?" He then fainted

Yuuto and Shiina were panting, knowing they both been through a harsh fight. Despite all odds, they soundly defeated Gohren and his 65 gangsters.

"Should we call?" Shiina asked, still a bit tired

"Sure." Yuuto said, also tired. He then called Ibuki.

After the mess of downed bodies was cleaned up, Yuuto and Shiina leaned on the gate overlooking Tokyo. Yuuto was sucking on a lollipop.

"It's a beautiful sight, isn't it?" Shiina asked

"Yes. It is." Yuuto replied, then sighed "It would have been better with Haruka. She would love this."

"Oh." Shiina said, somewhat sadly

Then, Yuuto began to speak. "Shiina… Do you think I did the right thing?"

"What do you mean?" Shiina asked

"Coming here to Kamurocho…" Yuuto said, "Doing my task of finding Haruka Nogizaka…"

"I think you're doing the right thing, Yuuto." Shiina said, "I also think you've come a long way since I first met you."

"What do you mean?" Yuuto asked

"You're growing strong, Yuuto." Shiina said, "You're growing a strong mind, a strong body… and a strong heart. All this time, neither Haruka nor I have seen this growth in you. You may not be a popular guy at our school, but I know that when you do save Haruka Nogizaka, everyone will be talking about it for the rest of their lives. You are your own person, Yuuto… Never forget your roots nor do you forget how kind you are."

After hearing all this, Yuuto stood up and looked at Shiina. "Shiina," he said smiling, "Thank you for those kind words. I honestly do not know what lies in store, but come hell or high water, Haruka's life will be spared."

After a brief moment of silence, Shiina said, "Yuuto. I have decided something."

"What is it?" Yuuto asked,

"I have decided to open an office to sell a bunch of items." Shiina said, "I can picture it now. I'll be right across the street from the host club, Stardust, selling Naginata Spears, costumes for cosplay and a lot of pianos."

"That's awesome." Yuuto complimented, "Have you figured out a name for it yet?"

"Ooh. I don't know yet." Shiina answers, "But, I'm hoping to have it open in the next few months."

"All right." Yuuto said, "Maybe if I am a head of a yakuza family, I can try to make it happen. Or even ask Haruka's family to have it open."

Shiina nods. Just then, Yuuto's phone rang. He answered it. "Hello?" He began, "Huh? I'm at the top of the Millennium Tower… Oh. OK. I see. I'll be on my way then." He then hung up.

"Ready to head back to Kamuro Castle?" Yuuto asks

"Yes," Shiina said and they both left to go back to ground level. But little do they know, that they heard soft moaning...

Back at Kamuro Castle, Ibuki told Yuuto and Shiina, "I've received intelligence that some Hitmen from Okinawa may have been involved with the kidnapping of Haruka Nogizaka. I have a sub-ordinate in Ryukyugai who can aid you. Before you leave, I have to give you your reward for capturing Gohren."

Yuuto and Shiina received ¥200,000 each for capturing Gohren. Yuuto did not want to let the Nogizaka Family know that he and Shiina are off to Okinawa. "I'm going to pack up. I want to try to head to Okinawa as soon as possible." Yuuto said

"OK." Shiina said and they left Kamuro Castle to check out of the hotel room and head off to Okinawa to go after more Hitmen.


	8. Ayase in Ryukyugai

Chapter 8: Ayase in Ryukyugai

The next day, both Yuuto and Shiina found themselves at Okinawa Airport. They both took a taxi into Ryukyugai, a lush city on a lonely island of Okinawa. Despite the fact that it is not as big as Tokyo's Kamurocho, there is a possibility of dangerous activity from yakuza gangsters. But, the little city on the island is at the moment... quite peaceful.

Yuuto walked around in his classy dark blue suit while Shiina stayed wearing her red Hakujou Private Academy uniform. So far, their adventure in Kamurocho has led them closer to finding Haruka. They have captured 13 Hitmen, with Yuuto going at it alone 7 times. Now, they are in Okinawa looking around for more.

"Is there anything to do here?" Yuuto thought as he walked around Ryukyu Street, "I have to wonder why did Ibuki send us here in the first place."

Shiina looked at Yuuto. "Yuuto." she said, "What is it?"

"Nothing." Yuuto replied, "I'm just thinking of a few things. Wondering what to do here... Why did Ibuki send us here..."

"Oh... I see." Shiina said, "I'm pretty sure something exciting will jump at us from out of nowhere."

Then, his phone rang. Yuuto picked it up. "Hello?"

"It's Ruko." the person on the other line said, "Where are you?"

"I'm in Okinawa right now." Yuuto answers

"Huh. I thought the reception is bad from Tokyo, but... oh well." Ruko said, "Anyway, I called because I read up on a master who's got style with weapons. I ask you to go to the Asagao Cove to meet him."

"Why? And how do I get there?" Yuuto cried

"Take the monorail!" Ruko cried out, "He's awesome and he gave me some pointers on three different weapons. I suggest you do the same. You might even impress Miss Kamishiro..."

"Ugh..." Yuuto cried, creeped out by the thought "Fine. I'll head over there."

"Good boy." Ruko said, "I'll see you... if you come home alive." And hangs up.

Yuuto then said to Shiina, "Let's head to the Asagao Cove."

"OK." Shiina said and followed him to the monorail station near the Kubochi River.

They took the monorail to the Asagao Cove. When they got there, they noticed a black kid yelling at a straw hat-wearing man, "I told you we don't want any ice cream! There's no point in asking Uncle Kaz about it!"

"No, no, no. You don't understand." the straw hat-wearing man replied, "I'm here to see a man named Kazuma Kiryu."

"Excuse me." Yuuto asked politely, "What's going on here?"

"Are you Kazuma Kiryu?" the straw hat-wearing man asked

"No, I am not." Yuuto answers and introduces himself, "My name is Yuuto Ayase. I think you're looking for someone else."

He then introduced Shiina to the straw hat-wearing man. "This is Shiina Amamiya."

"Ah." the straw hat-wearing man said, "Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine." Shiina replied cheerfully

Then, Yuuto asked, "Are you the weapons master that my sister, Ruko Ayase, told me about?"

"Ruko..." the straw hat-wearing man thought out loud, then said, "Oh yes! Ruko! You're Ruko's brother? My name is Shouji Yonashiro. I trained her along with Renta Kamiyama in the art of a variety of weapons, and I like to think of myself as a bit of an expert on the subject. Since you're Miss Ayase's younger brother and she told me you need to learn how to use some weapons, here I am."

"But, why would a master come all this way at the request of their pupils?" Yuuto asks

"I see you're a little suspicious." Yonashiro answers, "To tell you the truth, I spend most of the time selling ice cream near the beach. I'm not a rich man. Kamiyama and Ayase are my pupils, but Kamiyama sells me weapons at a discount while Ayase lets me know about new weapons out on the market. I can't refuse them when they ask me to do something."

"Ah... so he's the weapons teacher Ruko is talking about." Yuuto thought, "Maybe this will be worthwhile after all."

Then, he said, "I'll come train with you."

"Excellent!" Yonashiro cried, "I'll be waiting at the beach, then, ready for our training session!"

"The beach across from here?" Yuuto said, "Got it."

Yuuto and Shiina ran to the beach to meet Yonashiro. "Aha! You came!" Yonashiro cried from on top of the set of rocks. "Shall we start your training?"

"Yes, please, Yonashiro-sensei." Yuuto replied

"All right, then!" Yonashiro cried

"By the way, what kind of weapons can you already use, Ayase?" Yonashiro asked

"Well, I guess the only actual techniques I know are the sword techniques I learned from my sister," Yuuto answers, "and the staff techniques I learned from Shiina here. Everything else is self-taught, but I'm not bad..."

"Well, well! You know quite a bit!" Yonashiro complimented, "I suppose you'll want to focus on something you haven't used before?"

"Sounds good." Yuuto answers

"All right, then." Yonashiro said, "How about nunchaku? They're pretty good weapons."

"Nunchaku?" Yuuto asked

"That's right! I can teach you to use nunchaku like a master! They're impressive looking and also pack quite a wallop!" Yonashiro said

"OK." Yuuto said, "Nunchaku it will be."

"All right!" Yonashiro said, "Take off your shirt and get in the ring! You can't move properly dressed like that, can you?"

"Sure." Yuuto said

A few minutes later, a ring was set up with ropes and wooden stumps for ring posts. Yuuto had his dark blue shirt off, showing the almost complete "Angelic Dragon" tattoo on his back. Shiina leaned over on a set of ropes and yelled, "Good luck, Yuuto!"

"Thanks!" Yuuto cried then looked towards Yonashiro, "So when do I get my nunchaku?"

"You can't have any until you master them!" Yonashiro cried,

"What?" Yuuto cried, "How am I supposed to master a weapon if I can't even hold it?"

"That's the Yonashiro style." Yonashiro answers, "First, you must face an enemy armed with that weapon and defeat them unarmed. That way, you even come to know the weapon's weak points. That's what I've been taught by weapon users all around the world for years."

"I see..." Yuuto said

"Of course, I've picked up a bit of an accent after travelling around many places. Sometimes both Kamiyama and Ayase had trouble understanding me." Yonashiro said, "Anyway, I think we've chatted long enough. Let's get right to your lesson. Your task is simple. Just defeat me."

Both men got into their stances. Yuuto rushed at Yonashiro and hammered him with his hammer hook combo attack. Yuuto propped him up and attacked again with the hammer hook combo strike. Yonashiro blocked all strikes and took a small scratch from the hammer hook. Then, Yonashiro went wild with the nunchaku on Yuuto hitting him three times. Yuuto reversed the combo with a Hajikigaeshi and hammered Yonashiro with his hammer hook combo strike.

Yonashiro smacked Yuuto with his nunchaku, but was quickly reversed by the Hajikigaeshi. Then, Yuuto smashed Yonashiro with his hammer hook combo strike. Then, Yuuto stepped on his face harshly.

Yonashiro got up and said, "Well done! You're already a nunchaku master!"

"Hmm..." Yuuto began to cross his arms

"Is something wrong, Ayase?" Yonashiro asks

"Listen, Yonashiro-sensei..." Yuuto asks, "Are you really a strong fighter?"

"What are you talking about?" Yonashiro cries, "Couldn't you see with your own eyes?"

"No, that's why I'm asking." Yuuto said, "To be honest, I didn't have too much trouble beating you."

Yonashiro was silent. "So what is it?" Yuuto asked, "Are you holding back or are you really that weak?"

Yonashiro began to laugh. "That's one for you!" he laughs, "You're the first one of Kamiyama and Ayase's "introductions" to notice that! I'm sorry I underestimated you."

"What do you mean?" Yuuto asked

"Kamiyama and Ayase are geniuses when it comes to making and using weapons... Kamiyama more than Ayase." Yonashiro said, "But they're terrible judges of people. Kamiyama introduced me to a lot of folks over the years, and they've all been terrible! I didn't want to offend Kamiyama nor Ayase, but I've just been letting them beat me to make them feel good. But, it looks like you're the genuine article, brother Ayase. OK, then. Let's do this for real. Wait just a moment..."

Then, he took his straw hat off. "OK, let's get started." Yonashiro said,

Both men are silent... until Yonashiro asked, "Something wrong, Ayase?"

Yuuto couldn't help but smile, "All you did was take off your hat." Then, he chortled at Yonashiro's hair-style... which is a small afro. Then, he cleared his throat to remain serious.

"That's right." Yonashiro said, "You're quite observant."

"And that means we're fighting for real?" Yuuto asked

"Exactly." Yonashiro answers, "This hat is literally the "cap" on my ability. Get it? There's a big difference beneath when I'm wearing it and when I'm not."

Yuuto asked, "Are you OK?"

Yonashiro answers, "Why do you ask? Anyways, let's do this! You'll see. The rules are the same as before. You just have to stand up to my nunchaku and beat me."

"OK, then." Yuuto said,

"Let's go!" Yonashiro cries, "I hope I don't hurt you."

Both men got into their stances. Yuuto smashed Yonashiro with his hammer hook strikes, not letting Yonashiro use his nunchaku, propping him up each time. Yuuto missed a kick after a hammer hook strike. Yonashiro rolled and whiffed his nunchaku around. He managed to hit Yuuto once, but was reversed on the fourth combo hit by the Hajikigaeshi. Yuuto then hit Yonashiro with the hammer hook strike.

Yonashiro got up and tried a jumping whack... only to be reversed by the Ukenageshi. Yuuto then smashed Yonashiro with the hammer hook strike. Yonashiro then began his combo strike after getting up, but he was reversed by the Hajikigaeshi on the third combo hit. Yuuto then hit Yonashiro with the full string of hits from the punches to the spin kick, laying him down. Yonashiro got up and attacked... only to be reversed by the Toraotoshi. Yuuto then stepped on Yonashiro's face, harshly, for the finish.

"Whoa..." Yonashiro said, "You're quite a fighter, brother Ayase."

Yuuto was silent. "I was really trying that time." Yonashiro continued, "To tell you the truth, I'm a little shocked you were still able to beat me... Wait just a moment. It takes me a little time to recover when you go all-out like that."

Once Yonashiro was able to recover, he said, "That was close. I thought I was going to die there, for a minute. Ha ha ha!"

"You're definitely the real deal, Yonashiro-sensei." Yuuto admits, "That was actually kind of fun! Can you teach me another weapon later on?"

Yonashiro laughs. "Ha ha ha ha ha! The real thing? You're embarrassing me... but I like it! Here's the certificate I promised you. Please take it."

Yuuto then took the Nunchaku Master Certificate. Yonashiro said, "Just take it to Kamiyama's shop and he'll sell you some nunchaku. And if you have the right design and materials, I hear he can even make some custom weapons for you. Ask him for details. I have to say, I've really gotten to like you, brother Ayase. I've decided to stay here so you can train with me anytime you like. Ha ha ha! Would you like that?"

"I'm OK with that." Yuuto answers

"All right!" Yonashiro cries, "Let's continue!"

Yonashiro said, "As I said before, you just have to beat me. Which do you want to try?"

"Let's do the Tonfa." Yuuto answers

"Tonfa? All right!" Yonashiro cries, "I'll be using my special one-handed tonfa technique!"

"One-handed?" Yuuto asked

"You normally hold one tonfa in each hand, but I only use one in my right hand." Yonashiro said, "That's easier to handle. With my one-handed technique, there's a special move that can render the opponent unconscious. Watch out for it."

"OK, then." Yuuto said

"Let's go!" Yonashiro cries, "I hope I don't hurt you."

Both men got into their stances. Yuuto smashed Yonashiro with a hammer hook combo strike. Yonashiro tried to attack, but was reversed by the Ukenageshi from Yuuto. Yuuto attacked back with his hammer hook combo attack. And he did another combo attack after propping Yonashiro up. Yonashiro then rolled to the right side and tried to attack again, only to be reversed by the Ukenageshi. Yuuto took advantage and did his hammer hook combo attack. Yonashiro got up.

Yuuto tried to grab Yonashiro, but he quickly let go. Yuuto attacked with the hammer hook combo strike. Yonashiro smacked Yuuto twice with the tonfa before his third strike was reversed by the Hajikigaeshi.

Yuuto's attack pattern continued. Yuuto tried grabbing Yonashiro's leg, but Yonashiro kicked Yuuto's hand forcing him to let go. Yuuto interrupted Yonashiro's attack with a short kick. Yuuto then reversed Yonashiro's strike with an Ukenageshi and finished him off with his hammer hook combo strike.

Yonashiro said, "Whew... You're quite a fighter, brother Ayase. Wait just a moment. It takes me a little time to recover when you go all-out like that."

Once Yonashiro was able to recover, he said, "That was close. I thought I was going to die there, for a minute. Ha ha ha! Here's the certificate I promised you. Take it."

Yuuto then took the Tonfa Master Certificate. Yonashiro said, "Just take it to Kamiyama's shop and he'll sell you some tonfa. And if you have the right design and materials, I hear he can even make some custom weapons for you. Ask him for details. I have to say, I've really gotten to like you, brother Ayase. I've decided to stay here so you can train with me anytime you like. Ha ha ha! Would you like that?"

"I'm OK with that." Yuuto answers

"All right!" Yonashiro cries, "Let's continue!"

Yonashiro said, "As I said before, you just have to beat me. Which do you want to try?"

"Let's do the Kali Sticks." Yuuto answers

"Kali Sticks!" Yonashiro cried, "Do you know the origin of this martial art, brother Ayase?"

"No, not really." Yuuto answered

"It's part of Kali, a martial art from the Philippines." Yonashiro said, "When I was learning it for the first time, my master beat the sense out of me. No matter how I attacked him, it didn't do any good. And when he swung his sticks, I couldn't even get close to him. That's something I've included in my own version of the technique. You might call it my masterpiece. I hope you enjoy learning it."

"OK." Yuuto said,

"Let's go!" Yonashiro cries, "I hope I don't hurt you."

Both men got into their stances. Yonashiro got the first attack by slapping the Kali sticks right onto Yuuto's toes! Yuuto cried out, "Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!" Then, he dropped down on the floor. Yonashiro kept rolling around on the floor. Then, he tried to attack, only to be reversed by an Ukenageshi. Yuuto struck him with his hammer hook combo attack. Yuuto tried it again when Yonashiro got up. He blocked two punches and evaded the hammer hook shot.

Then, Yuuto felt the sting of the Kali Sticks from Yonashiro as he swung them.

Both men went at it for quite a long time. "Come on, Yuuto!" Shiina cried, "You can do it!"

Then, Yuuto tried to grab Yonashiro and struggled to throw him over his shoulder... but he succeeded. Yuuto then gave Yonashiro a quick stomp. Yonashiro got up. Then, Yonashiro swung his sticks at Yuuto. Yuuto blocked his strikes and reversed the last one with an Hajikigaeshi. Then, Yuuto finished him off with his hammer hook combo attack, with Yonashiro blocking all but the last hammer hook strike.

Yonashiro said, "Whew... You're quite a fighter, brother Ayase. Wait just a moment. It takes me a little time to recover when you go all-out like that."

Once Yonashiro was able to recover, he said, "That was close. I thought I was going to die there, for a minute. Ha ha ha! Here's the certificate I promised you. Take it."

Yuuto then took the Kali Stick Master Certificate. Yonashiro said, "Just take it to Kamiyama's shop and he'll sell you some Kali sticks. And if you have the right design and materials, I hear he can even make some custom weapons for you. Ask him for details. I have to say, I've really gotten to like you, brother Ayase. I've decided to stay here so you can train with me anytime you like. Ha ha ha! Would you like that?"

"I'm OK with that." Yuuto answers

"Oops!" Yonashiro said, "I don't think I have anything left to teach you."

"Huh?" Yuuto said, "What do you mean? I thought you had travelled around the world collecting all kinds of techniques...?"

"That's true..." Yonashiro said,

"Then, what's the problem?" Yuuto asked

"To tell you the truth, you made me remember." Yonashiro said

"Remember what?" Yuuto asked

"What it was like to travel around the world, learning from different martial arts masters..." Yonashiro reminisced, "I miss it. Besides, I haven't used the other techniques I know for more than ten years. I can't teach them. I can barely use them myself."

"I see..." Yuuto said, "I'm sorry I pushed you."

"I'm the one who should apologize." Yonashiro said, "But I'm going to go on a new trip around Japan and the rest of the world so I can eventually teach you more."

Yuuto put back on his blue shirt. He then bowed and said, "Thank you, Yonashiro-sensei... For everything. What are you going to do next?"

"One of my former teachers is in Osaka." Yonashiro said, "She's a master of Chinese martial arts. I think I'll try paying her a visit first."

"Wow..." Yuuto said, "I guess you really have travelled all over the place. Can I ask the name of this master?"

"She's part of the underground, so I don't know if you've ever heard of her." Yonashiro said, "She's named "Bai Ren". She's getting on in years..."

"Osaka..." Yuuto said

"Wait!" Shiina said, "Chinese martial arts... Old lady...? Hey! You're talking about Granny White!"

Yonashiro said, "You know her, Amamiya-san? Even someone from the mainland like you has heard of her? I think I underestimated Bai Ren! She's that famous, huh? Anyway, I guess I'd better get going! Ha ha ha!"

Yonashiro said to both Yuuto and Shiina. "After that, I plan to go to Tokyo. I know some nice clubs, so be sure to look me up if you come to Tokyo for some sightseeing!"

Yuuto and Shiina were silent, but they waved Yonashiro farewell.

Then, Yuuto received another phone call. "Hello?" he said

"It's Ruko." the person on the other line said, "You already met one of the weapon-making brothers, yes?"

"That's right. Back in Kamurocho." Yuuto answers

"Well... there's another weapon-making brother there in Okinawa. He is found on the second floor of a building..." Ruko said

"OK." Yuuto said, "I might take a look."

He then hangs up.

Yuuto and Shiina leave Asagao Cove to head back to Ryukyugai.

Yuuto and Shiina found themselves outside of the monorail station. They ran a little to the west to an alleyway leading to a office of a local yakuza gang, the Ryudo Family. They soon found a set of stairs and climbed up and then Shiina noticed a sign that read "Works Kamiyama". "That must be the place." Shiina said,

"OK." Yuuto said, "Let's go in."

Yuuto and Shiina walked inside. The interior is not much different than Kamurocho's Works Kamiyama. However, there is a obese man sitting in a chair, wearing jeans and a plaid red shirt. He greeted Yuuto and Shiina. "O-Oh. Hello." the man introduced

"Good afternoon." Yuuto bowed and said politely, "My name is Yuuto Ayase. This is my friend, Shiina Amamiya. Are you Kamiyama?"

"Y-Yes." the man answers, "M-My name is Renta Kamiyama. I'm Renji's o-older b-brother."

"I see." Yuuto said, "I thought I might check your place out. Oh! And that Yonashiro guy that my sister, Ruko, and you were trained by..."

"Ah." Renta said, "Mr. Yona's a p-pretty tough opponent, huh? He can use all sorts of weapons, like nunchaku and whatnot. You c-can really learn a lot from him. M-Ms. Ayase sure d-did."

"Yes." Yuuto agreed, "Yonashiro told me to bring certificates over to your place."

"Ah, y-yes." Renta said, "the M-Master Certificates. You see, I only modify weapons for people who have them."

"How come?" Shiina asked

"Because Mr. Yona said so." Renta answered, "H-He got really pissed at me one time and said, 'Don't you go selling weapons to just any old fool off the street'. Frankly I think he should be able to sell to anyone I want, b-but he really scares me. Can't figure the guy out."

Yuuto and Shiina remained silent. "So..." Yuuto asked, "Can I have the Long Nunchaku, then?"

"S-Sure." Renta answered and gave the weapon to Yuuto. "That'll be... ¥8,900."

Yuuto paid the money. Then, he gave him a DVD... "Hangers for Beginners". "You might need this, Kamiyama-san." Yuuto said

"Ooh! N-Nice." Renta said, "I-I'll take a look at it... a-and see w-what I can c-come up with. I'll send a copy over to Renji l-later."

"OK. Thanks." Yuuto answers, then he motioned for Shiina that it was time to leave.

And right when they both went outside, Yuuto received another phone call. He picked it up. "Hello?"

"Yuuto!" someone screamed

"Gentou-san!" Yuuto cried out

"What the hell are you doing in Okinawa?" Gentou screams, "I knew I shouldn't have relied on you to rescue Haruka! We'll go ahead with our plan to pay the ransom! Come home when you're done there immediately!"

Yuuto remained silent for a minute. Finally, he said, "Fine..." He hung up.

"Yuuto?" Shiina asked, concerned

Yuuto sighs angrily and runs off. "Yuuto!" Shiina cries

Yuuto rushed at a dining area across the street from a department store called Mitsukoshi on Ryukyu Street. He was looking down on the ground. He was really sad that he may potentially fail his mission as it was the last day of Haruka's young life. At the end of the day, she will be killed by her captors. In Yuuto's mind, he knew that he had run out of excuses. He stood up to leave, but he noticed a woman on a moped bike. He thought, "Hm? What's this?" And he whips out his cellphone.

The woman was riding on, just minding her own business... until she noticed a big sign of a popstar. She gasped. People were crying out, "Hey! Look out!"

She flew up via a ramp attached to a truck. "Il Yu-Jin!"

The red-headed man on the sign said in her mind, "I'm Il Yu-Jin."

She began to smooch for a bit. He repeatedly said, "I'm Il Yu-Jin."

Until finally he said, "I love you."

The woman landed on the front wheel of her moped. She rode on sighing sadly, "Aw... I could look at you all day!"

The two men who saw this said, "She did a flip! You think she is OK?"

Yuuto thought as he got the good photos, "Leap, flip and land... So magnificent on how it was done."

Yuuto then thought "I've got it!" Then, he rammed his cellphone buttons like mad like he did with the past instances he did this. Then, he slams down the button to confirm.

In his mind, Yuuto sees himself jumping over a gate, flipping up and bashed his opponent on the gate before landing gracefully on his feet.

He decided to walk inside the M Store nearby and buy a couple of Patented Hangers for ¥1,700.

Then, he ran to a corner of Hatsumachi and Ryukyu Street. There, he noticed a man walking by. He thought, "Hm? What's this?" And he whips out his cellphone.

The man with the huge glasses was walking slowly. A blonde flat-top-haired man ate a banana and tossed it up in the air. It landed on the ground. The large-glasses-wearing man sighed, but didn't see the banana on the ground. He slipped and fell right on his back! Another man with a briefcase holding a cell phone ran by, saying "Yes! Yes! I'm really, really sorry!" The briefcase bashed the large-glasses-wearing man on the head. Then a woman walked by, humming to herself and stepped on the large-glasses-wearing man's fingers. He cried out, "Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!" Then, he screamed, "What the hell?"

He gasped as he came face-to-face... with a big burly bald man... with the banana on his head. "S-Sorry about that." the large-glasses-wearing man said. The big burly man nodded and... POW! He punched the unlucky man's face. The glasses flew off and the unlucky man was left laying down, face-up.

Yuuto thought as he got the good photos, "I'm sorry, sir. You were just a really unlucky guy."

Yuuto then thought "I've got it!" Then, he rammed his cellphone buttons like mad like he did with the past instances he did this. Then, he slams down the button to confirm.

In his mind, Yuuto sees himself running towards a tired opponent, grabbed his midsection and performed a suplex on him. Yuuto rolled his opponent to the left while holding the body, grabbed his right arm with his arms and legs and... SNAP! Yuuto then grabbed his opponent's head with his legs and... SNAP! Yuuto then twirled the opponent to the left, grabbed his right hand, pulled it towards him, gripped his opponent's head, twirled around and... SNAP! Yuuto then flipped up, still gripping his opponent's head and... SNAP! Then, Yuuto lets go of the head and... POW! He punches him square in the face.

Yuuto then walked near Ryuushou, a shogi parlour on North Ryukyu Street near the monorail station. He began to cry. He then heard banging on the window inside Ryuushou. It was Ibuki's subordinate. He motioned that he needed to talk to Yuuto.

Yuuto didn't know what to do. He needed to finish his business in Ryukyugai before heading back home to Tokyo. But... he did get a sign from Ibuki himself that the Hitmen based in Okinawa may have something to do with Haruka's disappearance. He breathed in and breathed out. He walked inside the shogi parlour.

Yuuto walked inside. "Are you Yuuto Ayase?" the subordinate asked

"Yes, I am." Yuuto replied and bowed

"Perfect." the subordinate replied, "My name is Fumihisa. I'm a subordinate of Ibuki for the Straight Life Association. I'm in charge of the Okinawa region of the group. Ibuki tells me you're after the Hitmen who may have something to do with the kidnapping of Haruka Nogizaka. Well... you're in good timing. I have five men who may have been involved with the Nogizaka raid in Tokyo. A folder is on the table whenever you're ready."

Yuuto nods. He slowly picked up the folder on the white table. He was reading information on a Hitman known as "Akitsu, the Man with No Past". After an attack that made him lose his memory, Akitsu has been on a rampage, hurting yakuza around Okinawa. Word is that he may have a tiff with members of another local yakuza gang in Okinawa, the Tamashiro Family. He is last seen under a bridge.

"OK." Yuuto said, "I'll find Akitsu, and try to make him remember." He then left Ryuushou.

As soon as Yuuto left Ryuushou, he noticed a man in a brown shirt, looking at the river on the side of the bridge. He walked on over. The man sighed. Yuuto said, "Excuse me."

"Ah!" The man was surprised and shocked. "Who's there?"

He turned to face Yuuto. "Oh... You don't look like anyone I know... if I knew anyone."

"Really?" Yuuto said, "What do you mean?"

"I've been trying to find clues to my past, but so far... I haven't found a thing on why did I do a week ago." the man said

"Hmph..." Yuuto said, "No wonder you're called 'Akitsu, the Man with No Past'."

"Huh?" the man cried, "How did you know my name?"

"Heh. You just told me." Yuuto chuckles

"All right, all right." Akitsu cried, "I'll give you that. Please spare me!" He bows quickly

"Sorry." Yuuto said and crossed his arms, "I can't do that unless you answer some questions I have."

"Uhh..." Akitsu stammers

"Why did you join the Hitmen?" Yuuto asked, sternly

"Huh?" Akitsu cried, "I shouldn't answer shit to you! It's time that I make you lose your memory, kid!" And he got out his knife.

Both men walked towards each other. Yuuto did a jab, but Akitsu dodged backwards quickly. Yuuto reached out to grab Akitsu, but missed by a mile as he dodged quickly. Akitsu tried three knife thrusts on Yuuto, only to catch air as Yuuto quickly swayed back.

Yuuto did his three-punch-and-hammer-hook combo attack. Akitsu was hit by the first two punches and the hammer hook. Yuuto tried a jab, only to miss as Akitsu dodged again.

Once Akitsu got some distance from Yuuto, he jumped up and shoved his knife down, slicing Yuuto down on the ground. "Heh, heh." Akitsu cried, "I'm too fast for you!" Akitsu then jumped on Yuuto.

Yuuto got up. "Gah!" He thought, "I have to put my feelings aside and focus!" Yuuto tried his 3-punch body-and-knee strike and while his punches connected, the knee missed. Yuuto tried his 3-punch-2-kick-and-spin-kick combo strike. Once again, the punches hit and the kicks were either blocked or struck air. Surprisingly, Akitsu's counter kick missed Yuuto.

Akitsu tried another jumping thrust, but Yuuto blocked it. He gave a short kick to Akitsu. They both swayed, facing each other. Yuuto missed on his punches, but connected on his kicks.

Yuuto smacked Akitsu with a Sabakiuchi-style punch and did his 3-punch-and-hammer-hook combo attack, which hit him. They both backed away from each other for a bit.

Yuuto missed on his Sabakiuchi-style jab, but reversed Akitsu's attack with a Toraotoshi, laying him down. Yuuto then stomped on Akitsu's face and jumped on it.

Akitsu groans as he got up. Yuuto delivered a kick... that made Akitsu kneel in tiredness. Yuuto felt the pink featherly energy coming back. He got into a horse stance, screamed... and then he rose up.

Yuuto grabbed Akitsu, tossed him up and drop-kicked him, sending him near the edge of the bridge. When Akitsu got up, Yuuto struck him down and out with three quick punches.

"Wow..." Akitsu said as he got up. "You're good. I'll talk then."

"So, why did you join the Hitmen?" Yuuto asks

"The last thing I remember is getting my head scrambled after a run-in with some yakuza... particularly members of the Tamashiro Family." Akitsu explains, "They rampaged through Ryukyu like mad and I was nothing more than a bystander. I got hit in the head with a bullet, but I was lucky to survive."

"However, my brain is scrambled that I had no recollection of the events before that day. Those yakuza pricks ruined my life." he continued, now seething in anger

"I can definitely see why..." Yuuto said, "But..." And then he sniffles and sighs.

"If this is about the Nogizaka attack," Akitsu said, "I had nothing to do with it. So... kid, don't worry too much."

That made Yuuto smile... a little bit. "Look." he said, fighting off emotions, "I'm a person from the Straight Life Association. They might not be doctors, but hopefully, they'll restore your life before the accident."

Akitsu bows and said, "Thank you so much. Hopefully, I can fit in just fine."

Yuuto then calls Fumihisa on his cell.

A few minutes later, Akitsu was taken to Ryuushou. Fumihisa said, "Thank you for bringing in Akitsu. Here's your reward, Ayase-san." Fumihisa gave Yuuto ¥110,000 for capturing Akitsu. "Ready to take on another assignment, Yuuto?" Fumihisa asked,

"Yes." Yuuto answered and looked in the folder for another Hitman to find. He looked at the file regarding an arsonist named "Kengo the Wild Man". After an incident with the yakuza that burned his home, he turned into an arsonist and began making threats on burning important places as well as burning them itself. He is last seen in an alleyway near the Kubochi River.

"OK." Yuuto said, "I'll find Kengo and bring him on over." He then moved on his way.

Yuuto ran along the bridge and ran down a ravine. He noticed a man with jeans and an undershirt. The man is laughing.

"Hey." Yuuto said, "Are you Kengo?"

The man continued laughing.

"Excuse me." Yuuto continued, "Are you the one they call 'Kengo the Wild Man'?"

"Yeah." the man said as he turned around "That's me." and he chuckles.

"I hear you're an infamous arsonist in these parts, right?" Yuuto asks

"That's right." Kengo answers

"I have a couple of questions to ask you." Yuuto said

"Heh. OK..." Kengo said, and then he cries out, "As soon as I BURN YOU TO DEATH! Ahahahahaha!" And he got out his lighter.

"A lighter?" Yuuto thought as he got into his stance, "What's a lighter going to do against me? Either way, I have to be careful."

Yuuto poked Kengo with a quick kick. Yuuto then delivered a sharp jab-underhook-and-uppercut combo on Kengo. Once Kengo is down, Yuuto stomped on him.

Kengo growled as he got up. Yuuto grabbed a piece of scaffolding nearby and knocked down Kengo with it. Kengo got up and bashed Yuuto with the lighter in hand... and lit up the lighter burning Yuuto!

"Ahh!" Yuuto cried out in his mind as he dropped down "Stop, drop and roll! Stop, drop and roll!"

Thankfully, Yuuto put out the fire before it got worse and burned his body. "Shit!" Yuuto cried, "That lighter is dangerous! No wonder people shouldn't play with fire!" He got up.

Yuuto grabbed the scaffolding and bashed Kengo with it. Kengo got up after being knocked down on the third swing. Yuuto did a quick kick and tried his 3-punch-body-and-knee combo, with the second punch striking Kengo and the rest blocked.

Kengo tried bashing Yuuto with the lighter, but missed as Yuuto swayed backwards. Yuuto grabbed Kengo by the collar and gave him a long kick, making him hit the wall, knocking him down.

Yuuto then stomped on Kengo's face, jumped on it and bashed it with an elbow drop! As Kengo got up, Yuuto kept bashing at Kengo until... Kengo slumped down.

Yuuto felt the heavenly energy coming back. He got into a horse stance, screamed and then he rose up.

Yuuto ran, grabbed Kengo's midsection and performed a suplex on him. While holding Kengo's body, Yuuto rotated it to the left, grabbed Kengo's right arm with his arms and legs and... SNAP! Yuuto then grabbed Kengo's head with his legs and... SNAP! Yuuto twirled Kengo down, grabbed his right hand, pulled him towards his own body, grabbed his head, twirled around and... SNAP! Yuuto flipped upwards, still gripping Kengo's head and... SNAP! Yuuto then let go of Kengo's head and... POW! Yuuto punched him in the face for the finish.

Kengo got up... now silent. "Looks like your days of arson are done." Yuuto said after he got up.

Kengo remained silent. "Now," Yuuto said, "Why did you become a Hitman?"

"No reason..." Kengo finally said, "The only thing I know is that some yakuza punks burned a home I lived in. I had a family and they were burned alive because the yakuza wanted protection money... Since then, I learned the art of making flames and turning them into weapons."

"Why?" Yuuto asked sternly,

"So I can burn the homes and offices of the yakuza gang that destroyed my life." Kengo continued, "I got insane and all of a sudden... I started burning homes for pleasure."

"And... the... Nogizaka raid?" Yuuto began to suddenly break down.

"Kid..." Kengo said, "I'll tell you the truth. I want to burn down their mansion, but I couldn't bring myself to do it, so... I backed off."

This made Yuuto smile a bit. Kengo wipes his head and said, "Phew. Those maids really are something with their odd-looking weapons. Maybe one day I could do something with them."

"Probably..." Yuuto said, "But right now..."

He picks up his cell to call Fumihisa.

A few minutes later, Kengo was taken to Ryuushou. Fumihisa said, "Thank you for bringing in Kengo. Here's your reward, Ayase-san." Fumihisa gave Yuuto ¥130,000 for capturing Kengo. "Ready to take on another assignment, Yuuto?" Fumihisa asked,

"Yes." Yuuto answered and looked in the folder for another Hitman to find. He looked on to see that there is a file on a man named "Tetsuji the Returnee". He has been out of the business for quite a long time, both as a gangster and as a Hitman. He wishes to return to life as a Hitman. He was last seen on a corner in Ryukyugai.

"OK." Yuuto said, "I'll find this guy and get him to talk." He ran off.

It didn't take long for Yuuto to find Tetsuji. Yuuto found him near a building on the corner of Ryukyu Boulevard and Ryukyu Street. Tetsuji, wearing a green shirt with a medium build, sighed

Yuuto said, "Hey, what's up?"

"Hm?" Tetsuji said, "What? Who are you?"

"My name is Yuuto Ayase." Yuuto introduced politely, "I'm here to talk to you."

"Huh. Really?" Tetsuji replied, "Oh. OK, then. But can we head somewhere else? It ain't safe over here."

"Oh. OK." Yuuto answers

Tetsuji led Yuuto to a small alley. "This is perfect." Tetsuji said, "I needed to talk to you about something."

"What do you mean?" Yuuto said

"I've thought long and hard about this, and..." Tetsuji began, "I want to return as a Hitman."

"And why are you telling me this?" Yuuto asks

"I've been out of the game for quite sometime now..." Tetsuji answers, "And I want to show their group what I am made of. I even trained hard to come back to the group. I also want to show them that I've become stronger in the first place."

"And why's that?" Yuuto asks

"They didn't take me seriously as a Hitman and as a result, they expelled me from the group." Tetsuji said, "They also said I was too weak in strength to join."

"Huh. I see." Yuuto said

"I can't even think about being alone again!" Tetsuji confessed, "That group is kind and loyal to me. They've treated me as an equal and never an outsider."

"You know, there are other groups who can take you in, other than the Hitmen." Yuuto said

"Huh." Tetsuji said, "You don't take me seriously, do you? I've worked too hard, only to be disgraced! Time to punch your lights out, Yuuto Ayase!"

Both men got into their fighting stances, with Tetsuji arming himself with a pair of brass knuckles. Yuuto caught him with a jab. Tetsuji blocked Yuuto's underhook punch, but has his guard broken by the uppercut.

Yuuto quickly jabbed Tetsuji and reversed his attack with an Ukenageshi reversal. Yuuto then bashed Tetsuji with his 3-punch-2-kick-and-spin-kick combo strike. Yuuto grabbed Tetsuji by the collar and punched him in the face before letting go.

Yuuto poked Tetsuji with a jab and a quick kick. "Come on!" Yuuto cried, "Is that all you got?"

Yuuto was hit with two punches from Tetsuji. Yuuto tried his 2-punch-body-and-knee combo attack, only to be countered by Tetsuji's kick. "Ugh..." Yuuto thought as he got up, "I shouldn't have taunted him."

Yuuto managed to block a punch that Tetsuji threw and struck back with a 3-punch combo strike of his own. Tetsuji replied with 4 slow, but powerful punches with the last one reversed by an Ukenageshi.

Yuuto then smacked Tetsuji with his 3-punch-2-kick-and-spin-kick combo. Both men swayed and whiffed air before Tetsuji hit Yuuto with an uppercut. "Heh, heh." Tetsuji taunted, "You're not the only one with fast fists!"

Yuuto poked Tetsuji with a jab and a quick kick before Tetsuji hit Yuuto with his 4-punch strike. Yuuto blocked the second-last punch and reversed the last punch with an Hajikigaeshi.

Yuuto did a quick poking kick. Tetsuji replied back with 2 quick punches. After Yuuto poked Tetsuji with a quick jab, he shot back with a Haymaker punch.

Yuuto did a few more pokes, but got hit by Tetsuji's 4-punch strike. Yuuto flopped down and took an extra punch from Tetsuji, resulting in Yuuto flying further, but he managed to regain his footing.

Yuuto poked Tetsuji and reversed a punch via the use of the Ukenageshi. Yuuto focused his energy on his right leg, jumped up and... POW! Yuuto bashed Tetsuji's head with his foot, as per Komaki's Angel King technique.

After Tetsuji got up, Yuuto jabbed him to make him slump down in tiredness. Yuuto saw the pink feathers and its aura coming back. He got into his horse stance and screamed. Then, he rose up.

Yuuto ran, grabbed Tetsuji's midsection, and performed a suplex on him. While holding Tetsuji, Yuuto rotated him to the left, grabbed Tetsuji's right arm with his arms and legs and... SNAP! Yuuto then grabbed Tetsuji's head with his legs and... SNAP! Yuuto twirled Tetsuji down, grabbed his right hand, pulled him towards his body, grabbed his head, twirled around and... SNAP! Yuuto flipped upwards, still gripping Tetsuji's head and... SNAP! Yuuto then let go of Tetsuji's head, and... POW! Yuuto punched him in the face for the finish.

"Phew." Tetsuji said after he got up slowly, "That proves it. I can't be a Hitman anymore."

"Hm." Yuuto replied, "What are you plans now?"

"I don't know." Tetsuji said, "I really don't have a clue." Then, he had an idea. He quickly said, "Hey. Maybe I can move to Tokyo and work at a cosplay cafe in Akihabara."

"Probably." Yuuto said, but grew sad at hearing that. He tried hard not to break down in tears, knowing that his journey is over soon, in a tearful manner. "OK..." Yuuto said, trying hard to keep his composure. "I'm going to help you achieve that goal. I'll let you take that first step." He then pulls out his cell phone to call someone.

A few minutes later, Tetsuji was taken to Ryuushou. Fumihisa said, "Thank you for bringing in Tetsuji. Here's your reward, Ayase-san." Fumihisa gave Yuuto ¥150,000 for capturing Tetsuji. "Ready to take on another assignment, Yuuto?" Fumihisa asked,

"No... thank... you." Yuuto slowly said, "I need a break."

"OK, then." Fumihisa said, "I'll be back at Ryuushou whenever you're ready."

Yuuto then began to cry. He never felt so unhappy in his life, but knowing he had failed his mission and to see Haruka die at the hands of her captors... made him really angry... and sad all at the same time. He had only one thing to do... to drink. He headed to a bar called Aqua Sky.

He sat over near the bar and waved for a barman. "Good evening, sir." The barman greeted, "Do you like something to drink at the moment?"

"Yes, please." Yuuto said sadly, "I would like a drink of Skyy Vodka."

"OK, sir." The barman said, "That will be ¥750."

Yuuto was served his drink. He paid the money then drank his drink slowly... for taste. He didn't like it, too much, but he slowly chugged it down. The barman then asked, "Care for another drink, sir?"

"Yes, please." Yuuto said, "I would like a drink of Yamazaki, the 12-year type."

"Absolutely, sir." The barman said, "That will ¥800."

Yuuto paid the money and was served his drink. The barman gave an explanation on the drink. "Yamazaki Single Malt 12-Year-Old Whisky is a medium-bodied whisky with the aromas of dried fruits and honey. It has a delicate, mellow taste with a lingering, woody, dry finish. It's a neat drink, sir, so it should go well with any snack." Yuuto drank it slowly.

"Care for another drink, sir?" The barman asked

"Yes, please." Yuuto answered, now feeling a bit drunk. "I would like some Suntory Old Whisky."

"OK, sir." The barman said, "That will be ¥460."

Yuuto paid the barman, and got his drink. He drank it slowly and like a fish. The barman looked at Yuuto. Yuuto was really feeling it and looked dizzy. "Hmm..." The barman said, "You don't look too good. I think you should call it a day."

Yuuto nods, still feeling drunk. He then got up to leave Aqua Sky, to drown in tears of alcohol over Haruka...


	9. Drunken Otaku

Chapter 9: Drunken Otaku

Yuuto continued to cry as he kept walking. But, he is not walking normally. He is walking in an odd zig-zag-like pattern. That is because he had a little too much to drink. But... he noticed something at a dead end near Karaoke Kan, a man is about to punch the lights out of a drunkard. He thought, "Hm? What's this?" And he whips out his cellphone.

The man in the yellow shirt yelled, "Hey, dickface! Ya just bumped into me!"

The drunkard just made a growling noise as he moved in a zig-zag pattern.

"Hey, bitch!" the man yells again, "I'm talking to you!" He then tries to slap the drunkard... only to miss as the drunkard ducked down as he threw a hiccup.

"Ya think that's funny, you little punk?" The man cried as he approached the drunkard, grabbed him and tried punching again... only to miss as the drunkard bent down on his back to avoid the strike.

The drunkard evaded another slap from the yellow-shirt man, bending upwards. "Dammit!" the man cried, "I'll fucking kill you!"

And one hiccup later... the drunkard rushed towards the yellow-shirt man and... POW! He bashed the man and sent him flying across the street and down on the concrete. The drunkard continued to move awkward and noticed the man down. "Uh... siir?" He said, "You'll catch a cold out here, you know..." And he walked away, in an odd fashion. Yuuto thought as he got the good photos, "Hmm... Is it me or did the alcohol in his blood stream made the guy more powerful, and more limber?"

Yuuto then thought "I've got it!" Then, he rammed his cellphone buttons like mad like he did with the past instances he did this. Then, he slams down the button to confirm.

In his mind, Yuuto sees himself readying in a drunken-like stance and... POW! He zoomed to his opponent and knocked him down.

Yuuto then walked oddly near a man in a reddish-yellowish shirt. The man asked, "We're having a terrible day. Do you mind if we take out our aggression on you?"

"Y-Yes." Yuuto answered slowly

"What the fuck's up with that look on your face?" The man cried, "You must have a death wish, little punk!"

Both men went into their stances. Yuuto walked backwards for a bit, avoiding a headbutt from the reddish-yellowish shirt man. Then, Yuuto got into a drunken-like stance and... POW! He zoomed to the man and defeated him in one hit with a huge body bash!

Three other men who jumped in the fray were scared for a bit. Yuuto took out a man holding a golf club with his fists and feet. Then, Yuuto then ran near a gate where the large man wearing a bandana stood near. Yuuto ran up, jumped over the gate, flipped up and smashed the obese man on the head with his feet, ramming him on the gate. Yuuto landed gracefully on his feet. Then, he picked up the golf club that was dropped by a guy before, and went to the last man standing. Then, Yuuto did a golf swing right at the man's head! He was sent flying and is taken out.

The reddish-yellowish shirt man cried, "OK! OK! We'll cut it out now! Here! Take this and go!"

Yuuto was given a Rainbow Alloy. "Hmm..." He thought, "I might need this to make a weapon or two."

Yuuto then felt a little sober. "That attack I did..." He thought, "That must have sobered me up... I gotta get into another fight."

He then ran to East Hatsumachi. Then, a yakuza came by and yelled, "Are you that dude who messed with a guy from my family the other day?"

"No." Yuuto answers, now feeling a bit confident and cocky

"Guess what happens when you fuck with yakuza?" The gangster continued, "You're about to find out!"

Yuuto easily defeated the gangster with his set of punches and kicks. His ally grew scared. But, all Yuuto did was take out a lollipop and sucked on it. The gangster's ally ran to punch Yuuto… only for Yuuto to spit the lollipop on the gangster's face. Yuuto jumped up, and finished the gangster off with an overhead punch that dropped him to the floor. The gangster screamed in agony. Then he said, "Th-This was my fault! Take this and please forgive me!"

Yuuto was given yet another Rainbow Alloy. Yuuto thought, "Not enough... I need more men to take me on!"

Yuuto then walked on through Hatsumachi. He didn't realize there was a man behind him. He heard, "Hey, kid! You just bumped into me, didn't you? No place for you to run, boy! Hand over everything you got!" He grabbed Yuuto and tried to punch him... but Yuuto turned around and dodged it.

Yuuto then punched him twice before grabbing him. Then, Yuuto gave the man a long kick to the wall. Yuuto then grabbed a bike and hit as much as three men with it. Yuuto tossed the bike to a gang member, hitting him. Yuuto then grabbed a man and gave him three punches, with the last one harsh enough to defeat him. Yuuto then saw a black undershirt-wearing man with a baseball bat and defeated him quickly with his flurry of punches and kicks. Yuuto then picked up the bat, smashed a guy's legs with it, winded up and... POW! He gave the reddish-yellowish shirt man a huge headache with a smash in the head with the bat... that also sent him rolling down the street.

The last man standing was scared of Yuuto. Yuuto gave a stomp, waited until the guy got up and finished him with a pair of punches.

The reddish-yellowish shirt man cried, "Shit, that hurt... Sorry for acting like such a cheapskate... Here, my apologies..."

Yuuto was given a Brass Lump. "Hmm... I might need this to make a weapon or two."

Yuuto then ran back to Works Kamiyama... now feeling a lot more sober than before and feeling a hint of confidence again.

Yuuto walked over to Renta. "Good evening, Kamiyama-san. Do you have anything on the video I gave you?"

"W-Well..." Renta said, "I-I looked at it and... I n-need a Long Nunchaku... a-and a c-couple of Patented Hangers."

"Perfect!" Yuuto cried, "I have them ready for you." And he gave the items to Renta.

"S-Sure." Renta said, "¥5,000, please."

Yuuto paid the money and watched Renta get to work on creating a new weapon with the hangers and the nunchaku. Yuuto then looked around the store for anything he wanted, but so far... there was nothing that proved to be of great interest to him. Then, he heard, "A-All done!"

Yuuto looked at the weapon. It is a set of nunchaku, but... instead of two sticks connected by a chain, there are two cobalt blue hangers connected by a chain. "Th-These are Twin Hangers." Renta said, "Th-These could be used for y-your clothing, too... G-Give it a whirl sometime."

"OK." Yuuto said, "Thanks, Kamiyama-san!"

"Y-You're welcome, Ayase-san!" Renta replied,

Yuuto then left to take care of a few other things.

Yuuto decided that he needed a knife. He walked along the bridge leading to Ryuushou, but then... he noticed a gleam of red coming from a pawn shop called "Ebisuya". He went inside. He then asked the clerk, "Excuse me, sir."

"What do you need, sir?" the clerk replied,

"I couldn't help but notice a gleam of red coming from the window." Yuuto said, "What is it?"

"Ah. That's one of our most prized daggers." The clerk replied, "The Red Lion Dagger. It gives a nice gleaming shine and at the same time, doesn't stain of blood when used as a weapon. Would you like one?"

"Yes, please." Yuuto said,

Yuuto was given the Red Lion Dagger. He ended up paying ¥200,000 for it. Despite the price, he knows that it will make a fine weapon to use sometime.

Yuuto then remembered that he had to meet the editor who is working with Miyuki Aragaki, the manga artist he met back in Tokyo. He still held the copy of "Innocent Smile" with him. Before that, he rushed to the M Store to buy a bottle of sake. He only paid ¥1,100 for it. He then rushed back to the Kubochi River bridge. "Hey." Yuuto waved,

"Ah. Good timing." the editor said, "I just found out that Ms. Aragaki's father isn't really a doctor, per se. He's more of a pharmacist. Try looking for him in Maeda Pharmacy near the Kariyushi Arcade."

She paused for a minute. "What is it?" Yuuto asks

"I thought I saw Ms. Aragaki at the station earlier today." the editor answered, "Look. I don't want her to know that I spoke to her father, so... can you do that for me?"

"OK." Yuuto said, and he ran on over to a shopping area called the Kariyushi Arcade. Yuuto eventually found Maeda Pharmacy. He walked inside. The old-aged clerk near the desk said, "Hello, sir. Do you need anything?"

"Yes, sir." Yuuto answers, "Are you the father of Miyuki Aragaki?"

The clerk paused for a minute. He then said to Yuuto, "Come talk to me outside."

Yuuto nods and follows him.

Over at the dining area across from Mitsukoshi, Yuuto sat with the clerk at the pharmacy. "So... I hear that you're a pharmacist, Mr. Aragaki. Is that right?" Yuuto asked

"It's true." the clerk answers, "My entire family became nurses, pharmacists and researchers... but never a real medical doctor. I knew that my daughter, Miyuki, had the ability, so I thought, 'If that's the case, then I can encourage her to become a real doctor'. I gave her manga and let her watch a lot of anime for a long time. It made her happy as a clam. She told me that she wants to be a manga artist one day. Until... I asked her to toss the manga away in the river, so she can give up that dream and focus on being a doctor."

He sighs. "That was the biggest mistake I made. That was because I felt that I threw away my daughter that day and let her drown. I then realized that it was MY dream for Miyuki to become a doctor, not hers. I would be just proud of her so long as she didn't quit on her dream." He hung his head low.

Yuuto laid out his hand next to Mr. Aragaki's. "Look." He said, "There's still time."

"What do you mean?" Mr. Aragaki said

"You can still reach out to your daughter." Yuuto said, "I'll find her and let her know what you've just told me... I just hope it's not too late."

Yuuto then walked back to the bridge over the Kubochi River. And there... was Miyuki Aragaki. She had the fifty copies of "Innocent Smile" right next to her. "Ms. Aragaki!" the editor cried, "Please don't do this!"

"It's too late!" Miyuki wailed, "I'm gonna quit my dream and become a doctor! I won't let this be a burden anymore!"

"Wait!" Yuuto yells, "Are you quitting your dream of being a manga artist?"

"Yes!" Miyuki cried, now drowning in tears, "I'm throwing these "Innocent Smile" magazines away!"

"Miyuki!" someone cried. Her father arrived just in time.

"D... Dad?" Miyuki cried

Mr. Aragaki began panting. Then, he calmed down. "Don't quit your dream of being a manga artist!" he cried

"But why did you make me throw away all the manga you bought?" Miyuki cried

"Truth is..." Mr. Aragaki replied, "I wanted you to be a doctor, because all our family became doctors in a sense. I wanted to give you pressure. But... all I did was throw your dream away. I realize that it was MY dream for you to become a doctor, not yours. Please don't make the same mistake I did. Truth is... I bought all those manga for you is because... I love manga myself."

"You do, dad?" Miyuki cried out in surprise.

"Yes." Mr. Aragaki responded, "I also wanted to be a manga artist, but I didn't have the talent to get the Maki Minami Award or anything like that. I kept drawing manga, day in and day out, and didn't study hard enough to become a doctor. So... please forgive me."

Miyuki began to sniffle. She began to hug him. "I'm sorry, dad!" she cried

"I'm sorry, too, my lovely daughter." Mr. Aragaki replied

A few minutes later, Miyuki said, "Thank you very much, Yuuto Ayase. If you weren't there for me, I would have given up my dream to become a manga artist. I can finally make my debut on Hana to Yume sometime soon! Here... this is all for you."

Miyuki gave Yuuto the stack of 50 "Innocent Smile" magazines. "Th-Thank you very much!" Yuuto said,

"When you get a chance, take a read at my piece soon!" Miyuki cried and waved goodbye to Yuuto.

Yuuto decided to carry the magazines back to Ryuushou, but suddenly... POW! He was bumped by someone. The person screamed as she fell down.

"A-Are you..." Yuuto cried and covered his eyes. He then gasped.

"Ow. Ow. Ow..." The young girl cried, revealing her underwear under the familiar red uniform. She turned around. She then said, "Hey, don't suddenly jump..." She then gasped.

They both screamed!

"Yuuto!" the person cried as she ran to hug him

"Shiina!" Yuuto cried back

"Where were you?" Shiina cried, "I've been looking for you all over town!"

"Sorry..." Yuuto sighed sadly, "I just needed some time for myself. After Mr. Nogizaka yelled at me for slacking off, I got mad... I didn't want to take my frustration out on you, so I ran."

"I see..." Shiina said, also feeling a bit bummed

"Hopefully, everything will be OK again." Yuuto reassured, "Can you help me carry these "Innocent Smile" magazines inside, please?"

"Sure." Shiina replied, happily and aided Yuuto in carrying the huge pack of "Innocent Smile" magazines.

As soon they went inside and packed the 50 copies of "Innocent Smile" in Yuuto's bag, they approached Fumihisa. "Good evening." Yuuto greeted

"Ah, good evening, Ayase-san." Fumihisa greeted back, then he noticed Shiina, "May I ask who is your friend here?"

"I'm Shiina Amamiya." She replied and bowed, "I'm Yuuto's friend and wish to aid him on finding the Hitmen here in Okinawa."

"Ah. OK." Fumihisa said, "Are you feeling better, Ayase-san?"

"Yes." Yuuto said, with a hint of confidence "I feel much better. Is the folder nearby?"

"Oh, yes." Fumihisa answered, "It's on the table there near the front door."

Yuuto looked in the folder. There is a file on a Hitman named "Issen the Assassin Trainer". He is a trainer who aids up-and-coming Hitmen in the group and trains them to become strong. He used to be a trainer for a yakuza organization, but they let him go. This is because sources claim that Issen is a wanted man and it may not look good for their organization. He is hiding out at a big supermarket.

"Ready to go, Shiina?" Yuuto asks

"Yeah!" Shiina nods confidently and they both head out to search for Issen.

Yuuto and Shiina went inside the Kariyushi Arcade, then they proceeded through the double-doors inside a giant supermarket called the Municipal Market.

Yuuto and Shiina broke off and searched for Issen on the first floor. On that floor is where produce, meats and fish are sold for quite a bargain… at ¥300 per pound. Yuuto checked around the produce area while Shiina checked around the fish and meats section, especially the Fresh Fish Market Uonawa spot.

They both met at the stairwell. "Did you find Issen?" Yuuto asked

"No." Shiina answers, "Did you?"

"Nothing." Yuuto replied, "Let's try upstairs." They both went upstairs. On the second floor, they saw a food court area which has a bunch of tables lying around neatly and people sitting at them, eating their food and talking about how their day is going and all sorts of potpourri.

They, they noticed a group of men, wearing Hawaiian shirts. Yuuto and Shiina walked up to them. "Excuse me," Yuuto began

"What is it, sir?" the man in the dark green Hawaiian shirt said

"Are you the Hitman named 'Issen the Assassin Trainer'?" Shiina asked

"Yes." The dark green Hawaiian shirt man answered, "What's it to you?"

"We got questions for you." Yuuto said, "We'd like you to answer them."

"What do you mean?" Issen asks, "In order to get something out of me, you need to prove yourselves to me. Boys…"

"Yes, Issen-sensei?" One of his men asked

"Give those two a workout." Issen ordered

"Yes, sensei." The second trainee answered and both men faced Yuuto and Shiina. "Do you think you can take us?" the second trainee retorted

"Bring it." Yuuto taunted

"Don't hold back on us." Shiina retorted back at the trainees

Yuuto ran to grab a bench, but he was quickly dropped by a jumping kick from the blue-shirt trainee. Shiina blocked the orange-shirt trainee's palm strike. Yuuto quickly got up, grabbed a bench and repeatedly smashed it on the trainees. He grabbed another bench and continued whacking the trainees with it. Shiina brought the orange-shirt trainee down with her palm attack, and Yuuto finished him off by throwing down the bench on his body… hard.

The blue-shirt trainee cowered at the students. Yuuto grabbed his leg and gave him a kick in the ribs. "Come on! Get up!" Yuuto cried as he propped the trainee back up.

Shiina grabbed the trainee from behind. Yuuto ran up and finished him off with a running jump kick.

"Shit…" they both said, "Sensei… they're tough for their age."

"All right, then." Issen said as he got up. "You have proven to me that you can handle yourselves. Now… Mr. Ayase and Ms. Amamiya, let me show you what I'm made of!"

All three fighters got into their stances. Shiina whispered something to Yuuto. Yuuto nodded, and ran to a bench. He picked it up and whacked Issen with it. Issen stood tall, taking shot after shot. Yuuto did his jab-underhook-and-uppercut punch, missing Issen.

Issen struck back at Yuuto with sharp blows. Issen bashed Yuuto up with a knee and broke Shiina's guard with a harsh double punch. Yuuto regained his footing after being launched up in the sky.

"He's tough!" Yuuto said, "Be careful."

"OK!" Shiina replied cheerfully and attacked Issen from behind with her graceful side-sweeping kick. Yuuto then tried to strike with the jab-underhook-and-uppercut combo strike, only for the jab to connect and the rest blocked. Yuuto took two jabs from Issen before blocking his kicks.

Shiina struck Issen with an elbow, a palm and a spin kick. Issen tried to strike back, but Yuuto got in the way and reversed Issen's attack with the Ukenageshi. "May I?" Yuuto asks Shiina

"Go ahead." Shiina answers

Yuuto grabbed Issen and slammed his face to the wall. While Issen kneeled down, Yuuto smashed the back of the head with his knee, bringing Issen down to the floor and then… POW! Yuuto stomped on Issen's face!

"Tch!" Issen cried as he got up. "You're good. Keep it coming!" Shiina tried her two high kicks, but Issen easily blocked them. Issen tried to attack, only to be reversed by Yuuto's Muay Thai-like Ukenageshi reversal.

Yuuto tried his 3-punch-2-kick-and-overhead-jumping-spin-kick combo attack, but Issen broke it off and bashed Yuuto far with his harsh jab, knee and fist.

"Yuuto!" Shiina cried and tried to attack Issen, but she was hit with a jab and a knee. She did block the harsh fist strike. While both Shiina and Issen traded blows, Yuuto got up and tried a drink of the sake he bought at the M Store.

Issen just finished a combo attack, laying Shiina down when… Yuuto ran up to Issen, grabbed his head, grabbed it again with his legs and spun around doing a dance. Issen was laid out as Yuuto finished the attack.

"What?" Issen cried, "Grr… I've got to do better than this!" He and Shiina got up. "Thanks, Yuuto." Shiina said

Issen tried to attack Yuuto, only to be reversed yet again by the Ukenageshi. "Not a problem." Yuuto replies and strikes back at Issen with three punches and two kicks before Issen recovered and attacked back with a hard jab, knee and fist. Yuuto blocked the attack this time.

Shiina grabbed Issen by the collar and launched him up with a jumping knee. Issen got up and poked at Yuuto and Shiina with a simple kick. He tried to attack again, only to be reversed by the Ukenageshi from Yuuto. Yuuto attacked, but his punches and kicks were blocked. Issen attacked with his harsh blows. Yuuto blocked the jab and knee, but was caught off-guard by the fist and he flopped down.

Issen used the same attack on Shiina and she was knocked down. He saw Yuuto from far, runs over and does a jump kick. Yuuto blocked it with a bench he picked up, and used the bench as a weapon as he whacks Issen with it.

Issen grew tired and slumped down. Yuuto felt the heavenly aura coming back. He got into a horse stance and screamed. Then, he rose up.

Yuuto ran, grabbed Issen's midsection and performed a suplex on him. While holding Issen's body, Yuuto rotated it to the left, grabbed Issen's right arm with his arms and legs and… SNAP! Yuuto then grabbed Issen's head with his legs and… SNAP! Yuuto twirled Issen down, grabbed his right hand, pulled him towards his body, grabbed his head, twirled his body and… SNAP! Yuuto flipped upwards, still gripping Issen's head, and… SNAP! Yuuto then let go of Issen's head and… POW! Yuuto punched Issen's face for the finish.

Yuuto saw Shiina down and lifted her body up on his. "Heh…" Issen said as he got up slowly, "You are strong. I'm no match for you."

"OK. Talk." Yuuto said, "Why did you join the Hitmen?"

"I was ready to assassinate people," Issen answers, "Specifically yakuza family patriarchs. But, I was a wanted man everywhere in mainland Japan. I moved to Okinawa to teach men my skills, so that one day, they'll do my bidding and eventually grow as a threat to the yakuza."

"I see." Yuuto said

"Do you know someone called 'Kotaro the Murderer'?" Issen asks

"Why do you ask?" Yuuto asked

"I taught him a lot." Issen answers, "I'm surprised he was a yakuza hater like I am. He knows his stuff now."

"Hm." Yuuto said, "I'm surprised that I didn't hear that from Kotaro… that you taught him to kill yakuza and not leave a trace."

"I was scouted by the leader to take part in the Nogizaka raid." Issen continues

"You were scouted?" Yuuto asked

"Yes." Issen answers, "But, I was not taken, because my skills were not that great enough to take part in the raid. You know, word spreads fast around that raid."

"Hm. I can tell." Yuuto said then he took out his cell phone. "I'm going to have to take you in. I thank you for the information."

He then calls Fumihisa.

A few minutes later, Issen was taken to Ryuushou. Fumihisa said, "Thank you for bringing in Issen. Here's your reward, Ayase-san and Amamiya-san." Fumihisa gave both Yuuto and Shiina ¥200,000 for capturing Issen. "Ready to take on another assignment?" Fumihisa asked,

"Yes." Yuuto answered and looked in the folder for another Hitman to find. He looked in the docket… and there was a Hitman named "Egami the Blind Hitman". He lost his eyesight, due to an incident with the yakuza family and there was not a hospital in sight to take him in. Now, he walks blindly and causes reckless behaviour in yakuza territory. He is last seen near a Smile Burger.

"I'll find Egami and see what I can find." Yuuto said

Yuuto carried the sleeping Shiina out of the Municipal Market. He then ran out of the Kariyushi Arcade and right back on Ryukyu Street.

He turned right and sat down on a chair next a table in the dining area across the street from Mitsukoshi. He sighs then said, "Hey, Shiina. Are you going to be OK?"

"Yes…" Shiina answers, still feeling the effects from the fight with Issen.

"I'm going to get something to eat at Smile Burger." Yuuto said, "Do you want anything?"

"No, it's OK." Shiina answers slowly

"OK." Yuuto said and noticed a man in a blue Hawaiian shirt. He walks on over and asks, "What's wrong?"

"I'm in a deep hole." The man answers, "Just leave me alone."

"I can't do that." Yuuto said, "Just tell me what's wrong."

"Huh? Why?" the man said and turned around to face Yuuto. "Why should I address to a young guy like you my problems?"

"First off, are you the Hitman known as 'Egami the Blind Hitman'?" Yuuto asks

"Yes." The man answers, "Don't laugh at my title. I'm literally blind. But, I can hear just fine." He then walks over for a bit.

"Huh." Yuuto said, "So, what your problem?"

Shiina awakened to find Yuuto talking to Egami. So, she walked on over and asked, "What's going on, Yuuto?"

"Oh! You're OK?" Yuuto said, "Egami here is in financial turmoil and needs money for an operation on his eyes. He's a freelance hitman."

"Ah. Another person with you?" Egami said, "Well, I'll be more than happy to show you both how I fight."

Yuuto turned to Shiina. "Are you going to be OK this time?" he asked

Shiina nods. "I'm going to be all right, Yuuto."

Then, they both raised their arms and made a motion with their hands. "Come then!" they both cried

Egami got into his fighting stance that is exactly like Shiina's. She gasps. "He must have trained with Granny… I'm scared… I hope he doesn't have anything new."

"Calm down, Shiina." Yuuto said, "Let's do our best and beat this blind guy."

"Hey! I heard that!" Egami cried

"OK." Shiina said and both she and Egami hit each other. Yuuto picked up a table, and smashed Egami with it, only to stand tall taking the shots. Yuuto tried his 2-punch-body-and-knee combo strike. Egami blocked all attacks. He even pushed away Yuuto harshly when he grabbed him.

"He's big!" Yuuto cried, "Don't grab him!"

Shiina nodded, but grew heavily concerned on Egami's fighting style. Both Shiina and Egami hit each other again. Egami prepared for a palm strike, but… POW! Yuuto reversed it with a Toraotoshi.

He ran to get a chair, only to get laid out by a jump kick by Egami. Shiina tried to attack, but Egami quickly turned around and grabbed her arm. Egami then threw Shiina down.

Yuuto got up and tried his jab-underhook-uppercut combo strike, but got interrupted by a palm strike and side-sweeping kick from Egami. Yuuto quickly got back up, only to be dropped by a sky kick.

Yuuto and Shiina rose up. Shiina struck Egami with her twin kicks. Yuuto reversed Egami's elbow with an Ukenageshi. Yuuto then ran behind Egami and struck him with his 3-punch-2-kick-and-spin-kick combo strike. Egami quickly rose to his feet, forcing the spin kick to miss.

Egami struck Yuuto with a twirling kick. Shiina came to Yuuto's aid and hit Egami with a palm. She blocked his twin kicks. Yuuto tried to punch Egami, but his arm was grabbed and he was thrown down.

"Are you OK, Yuuto?" Shiina cried

"I'll be all right." Yuuto said, but cried out, "Watch out!"

Shiina reacted quickly and blocked two palms and a spin kick. Shiina tried hitting Egami with her two palms and a spin kick, only to be blocked. Yuuto quickly got up and reversed an oncoming strike with an Ukenageshi.

Yuuto ran behind Egami and smacked him with his 3 punches and 2 kicks. Egami got up quickly. All three fighters attacked and blocked their strikes. That is, until Yuuto was dropped by Egami's twin kicks. That's when Yuuto smashed Egami's shins with his feet. Yuuto flipped Egami down as he got up and punched his face. Yuuto then let go of Egami's leg.

Shiina tried to attack, only to get counter-thrown down by Egami. Yuuto got a chair and threw it at Egami. But, Yuuto didn't see the twin kicks. Yuuto was dropped by them.

Shiina got up and attacked Egami. Her strikes were blocked as his, too. Yuuto got up and reversed an oncoming strike with another Ukenageshi. Egami recovered quickly to deliver a harsh jab, knee and fist at Yuuto, only to be blocked.

Shiina hit Egami with a palm, to knock him down only for Egami to get up quickly. Yuuto ran to get a chair, only to be dropped by Egami's jumping kick. "How did he know I was here?" Yuuto thought

Yuuto got up, and reversed Egami's strike with an Ukenageshi. Yuuto sent him flying with his 3-punch-2-kick attack. Egami got up quickly.

Shiina faced Egami, and got hit with a palm. Then, she was punched, grabbed and flown by a jumping knee. Yuuto came to her aid, but did very little as his strike was easily countered, which resulted in Egami throwing Yuuto down.

As the fight went on, all Shiina could think about as she lay there, is that she has finally been defeated. Yuuto kept crying out, "Shiina! Get up, Shiina! I can't beat Egami without you!"

Egami cried back, "Give it up! You can't win! Why? Because I'm better than you!"

"Come on, Shiina!" Yuuto cried in-between punches, "Let's hear about that new piano, naginata and cosplay office you're opening soon! I can picture it now, you know!"

It didn't do any good. Then, Yuuto quickly remembered something. "Shiina!" Yuuto cried out, "Remember the swimming competition at our school? You gave it your all after we trained you! Why? You said to me that you weren't such a good swimmer! Even though you got the leg cramp, you left it all on the table! You never backed down! You've never quit! You tried your hardest and that to me… is all that matters. So, come on, Shiina! Don't quit on me now!"

Shiina soon felt an extreme burst of confidence. She slowly got up, but she managed to trip Egami down with a low kick. Yuuto stomped on Egami quickly.

"Good to have you back, Shiina." Yuuto said

"Thanks, Yuuto." Shiina replied. Once she saw Egami get up, she did her twin palms and a spin kick from behind. This allowed Yuuto to smash Egami with a quick kick and a Sabakiuchi-style headbutt.

"No fair!" Egami cried, but slumped down in tiredness when Yuuto punched him.

Then, Yuuto felt the pink heavenly energy coming back. He got into a horse stance and screamed. Then, he rose up.

Yuuto ran, grabbed Egami's midsection and performed a suplex on him. While holding Egami, Yuuto rotated him to the left, grabbed Egami's right arm with his arms and legs and… SNAP! Yuuto then grabbed Egami's head with his legs and SNAP! Yuuto twirled Egami down, grabbed his right hand, pulled him towards his own body, and grabbed his head, twirled around and… SNAP! Yuuto flipped upward, still gripping Egami's head and… SNAP! Yuuto then let go of Egami's head and… POW! Yuuto punched him in the face!

Egami got up, but slowly. Yuuto booted Egami down with a long charge kick for the finish.

"Ugh…" Egami cried as he got up, "No more."

"OK. Fair enough. So, what caused you to be blind?" Yuuto asked

"Some yakuza punks showed up and splashed my eyes with chlorine." Egami answered, "It caused permanent loss to my sight and I was forced to carry a walking stick."

"The Hitmen leader saw me as a good fighter, so I joined in." Egami continued

"Really?" Shiina said

"Oh yes." Egami said, "I did some training myself and I ended up breaking punks' necks with my eyes shut… literally."

"Truth is, though… I want my sight back, but I haven't found a hospital in Okinawa to get my eyes checked." Egami continued, "I want to at least try without going to a loan shark."

"All right." Yuuto said, "I know because of your condition, you weren't involved with the kidnapping of Haruka Nogizaka, yes?"

"Correct." Egami said,

"All right." Yuuto said, "We're going to help you. We'll help you on the first step. From then on in, it's up to you. And don't worry. You'll get your eyesight back."

Yuuto then pulls out his cell and calls Fumihisa…

A few minutes later, Egami was taken to Ryuushou. Fumihisa said, "Thank you for bringing in Egami. Here's your reward, Ayase-san and Amamiya-san." Fumihisa gave Yuuto and Shiina ¥220,000 for capturing Egami. "Wow. That's it. Looks like all the men in Okinawa have been rounded up."

"So… what's going to happen?" Yuuto asked

"I spoke with Ibuki earlier." Fumihisa said, "Apparently, there are two more Hitmen back in Tokyo. They may have been the masterminds behind the Nogizaka raid in Tokyo. You might want to check in back at Kamuro Castle to see who they might be."

"OK. Will do." Yuuto said,

"Thank you so much, Ayase-san and Amamiya-san!" Fumihisa said, cheerfully, "Hopefully, the five men you've rounded up will have their lives turned around." He then departed.

Yuuto then looked down on the ground in sadness. Shiina then put her hand on his shoulder. "It's going to be OK." Shiina said, "I'm sure something will make you feel better."

"It's not that." Yuuto said, "I'm ordered to go back home to Tokyo by Gentou."

Shiina gasps. "Why?" she cried

"He says that I'm fooling around a lot and… I'm not focused on the mission at hand." Yuuto answers, "Truth is… I love Haruka. I want to become strong for her sake. But…"

"Look, Yuuto." Shiina interrupts, "I did say that I didn't see this growth in you. You believed in yourself. So… don't give up yet. You're close to finding out who's behind the kidnapping. Don't throw it all away!"

Yuuto then looked up. "Shiina…" he said

She lets out her hand. "Promise me you will not leave Kamurocho until Haruka is safe." She said

Yuuto hesitated for a bit… until he let out his hand and shook. "Let's head back to Kamurocho." He said and the two walked to the monorail station over to Okinawa Airport.


	10. The Birth of a Dragon

Chapter 10: The Birth of a Dragon

It took at least one-and-a-half hours to reach Tokyo International Airport. Yuuto and Shiina eventually left the plane and made their way to the terminal. Just then, he received a phone call. "Hello?" he said

"It's Utabori." The person on the other line said, "I have the wings ready to complete the design. Come by to the tattoo parlour whenever you're ready."

"OK. I will." Yuuto answers and he hangs up.

They took a taxi back to Kamurocho. Yuuto and Shiina were dropped off at the Tenkaichi Street entrance. He then told Shiina, "I have something to do at Works Kamiyama. Let's head there first."

"OK." Shiina said, and followed him as he ran north on Tenkaichi Street, east on Taihei Boulevard, north on Pink Street, east on Shichifuku Street and north on an alley near Park Boulevard. Yuuto and Shiina went inside Works Kamiyama.

Yuuto then walked towards Renji. "Good evening, Kamiyama-san." Yuuto greeted, "Here are a couple of DVD's for you to take a look at." He gave Renji the DVD's titled "Dragon – Explosive Touch" and "All-Japan Taiko Tour".

"Ooh!" Renji cried, "T-Two DVD's! I-I can d-definitely take a look at t-them. If a-anything, I'll let y-you know."

"All right." Yuuto said, "In the meantime, can I have a pair of Double Sticks?"

"S-Sure!" Renji said, "M-my brother Renta t-told me about Mr. Yonashiro a-allowing us to let y-you buy them." He then gave a pair of big sticks. "¥20,000, please."

Yuuto paid Renji for the Double Sticks. "Thank you very much, Kamiyama-san." Yuuto said, "I'll see you in a bit."

"O-OK. T-take care!" Renji replied as Yuuto and Shiina left

Yuuto and Shiina ran south on the alleyway back to Shichifuku Street. They ran a bit west, until they reached Senryo Avenue. Then, they ran south past Taihei Boulevard, right up to the alleyway which led right into the Ryuujin Building.

Yuuto and Shiina walked inside. "Ah. You're here." Utabori said as he saw them, then he asked, "Who's your friend?"

"I'm Shiina Amamiya." she introduced herself politely and bowed, "I'm Yuuto Ayase's friend."

"Hm." Utabori said, "I have the wings ready for you, Yuuto. Would you like me to add them on your back?"

"Yes, please." Yuuto answered and bowed

Yuuto lied down on a mat while Utabori got to work on his back. He then said, "I hear your adventure is coming to a near finish. You will face an adversary more powerful than all the rest you have faced in order to save the woman you love. You will have a mountain to climb, but the mountain itself may not be a challenge, if you believe in yourself."

"Believe in myself...?" Yuuto thought,

"There is a chance that you may be on this mission, not just to save your lost love..." Utabori said, "But also that your heart... and hers... are joined in unity."

"Wait..." Yuuto thought, "I have been in love with Haruka, but I was afraid to confess it because I feel that I was never rich enough to win her heart. I never realized that I just have to be... me... in order to win her heart. Maybe... money isn't everything after all..."

A few hours later, Yuuto paid Utabori ¥1 million for the back tattoo. Yuuto looked at the mirror and saw his tattoo. Then, Shiina said, "Is this true? You love Haruka?"

Yuuto was silent, until he said... "Yes."

"Hm." Shiina said, sadly "I see."

"Look, Shiina." Yuuto said, "I nominated myself to go and save Haruka when I came to the Nogizakas. I felt that I should save her under harsh circumstances. It wasn't an easy road that I wanted to take... but I took it. I'm not going to give up my mission until this is over."

He put his shirt back. "I carried the dragon on my back since I entered here in Kamurocho, so I have a responsibility to fulfill. And that responsibility is saving Haruka Nogizaka." He turned around and said, "Ready to head to Kamuro Castle?"

"Y-Yes." Shiina said and followed him back to Kamuro Castle.


	11. Ayasaki

Chapter 11: Ayasaki

Yuuto and Shiina went inside Kamuro Castle. He went to Ibuki. "Ibuki-san," Yuuto said, "You wanted to see me?"

"Ah, yes, Yuuto-san." Ibuki said, "We have received intelligence that we have two more Hitmen here in Kamurocho. Both of them may have been masterminds behind the Nogizaka attack that resulted in Haruka being kidnapped. Why don't you take a look at the folder?"

Yuuto nodded and looked in the folder. He skimmed through all the files marked by the "Ayase Family" and the "Amamiya Family" stamp, including the five that he and Shiina defeated in Okinawa... until he came across an unstamped file. It was on a Hitman named 'Arasaki, the Super-Swift Blade'. Unfortunately, there is no information on this target.

Yuuto looked up and said to Ibuki, "I'll track down Arasaki and see what role he played in the raid."

Then, he turned to Shiina, "I'm sorry, but I have to go at this one alone."

"I understand, Yuuto." Shiina replied, "I wish you luck, Yuuto!"

"Thank you." He then left Kamuro Castle to hunt down Arasaki.

Yuuto ran north on Nakamichi Street after heading west from Kamuro Castle. When Yuuto got near the Millennium Tower, he heard a familiar acoustic guitar playing. It came from Hideki.

Yuuto smiled and said, "Hey, Hideki! What's up?"

"Oh. It's you, Yuuto Ayase." Hideki replied when he looked up, "I'm doing OK. Hey, listen. I haven't finished my song yet. Can we chat later?"

"Oh. OK." Yuuto said and he sat near a tree as Hideki continued playing his tune. To Yuuto's ears, it was a short ballad that made him think of Haruka. He thought about all the ups and downs that they both had and how he now knows his destiny awaits him.

As the song continued, Yuuto also thought about all of his friends back in the Hakujou Private Academy: his best friend, Nobunaga Asakura, Mai Asahina, Ryoko Sawamura and a ton of other people. He also thought about his teachers, both in school and in training: his own sister, Ruko Ayase, his Hakujou teacher, Yukari Kamishiro, his martial arts teacher, Sotaro Komaki and his weapons teacher, Shouji Yonashiro.

Then, the song ended. Yuuto walked back to Hideki. Hideki sighed and said, "You know what? I can't do this anymore. I'm tired of sitting around and doing nothing."

"What do you mean?" Yuuto asked

"You're after the Hitmen, are you?" Hideki asked

"What?" Yuuto gasped

"I've been doing a bit of data collecting on the side." Hideki explains, "You've done quite a hell of a job there, Yuuto." Then, Hideki got up and said in a chilling tone right into Yuuto's ear. "I've been watching you."

"Well… this is my last performance as a street busker…" He said as he walked to the street. "I now go back as the Hitman known as "The Super-Swift Blade, Hideki Arasaki"."

"You've been watching me from the start?" Yuuto cried

"You'd probably believe me if I said 'yes'." Arasaki answers, "I travelled around and watched you do your magic of bringing back all the Hitmen to Kamuro Castle. At the same time, I managed to get a plane ticket to Okinawa and watched you round up all the Hitmen there." Then, he asked, "You knew that our group was involved in the kidnapping of Haruka Nogizaka, yes?"

Yuuto nods slowly. "And the possible kidnapping of Shiina Amamiya?" Arasaki asked

Yuuto nods slowly again. "Hmph." Arasaki said, "You really are a naïve kid from the Hakujou Academy, are you? I was at the Nogizaka house, you know."

"Wait!" Yuuto cried, "Are you going to run? I've got more questions!"

"It's only a matter of time…" Arasaki answers and runs. Yuuto went after him.

Yuuto chased Arasaki for a whole rectangular block around Kamurocho, between Taihei Boulevard to the north and the Nakamichi Alley to the south as well as Senryo Avenue to the east and Tenkaichi Street to the west. Both men ran past people and obstacles. Finally, near a slot machine area called Volcano, Yuuto tackled Arasaki and picked him up. Arasaki kept panting.

"You're as strong as they say, Yuuto Ayase." Arasaki said after catching his breath. "You would've made a good asset to our group. We can definitely use a young man like you."

"I'm not like you guys!" Yuuto cried,

"You disappoint me." Arasaki said, "That would have led you closer to Haruka Nogizaka. You two do make a lovely couple. All right, then... I'll make you eat those words." He took out his knife.

"Let me show you how I fight as a Hitman!" Arasaki cried, "Time to die!"

Yuuto got into his stance. Arasaki began to zip around. Yuuto did his jab and underhook. He missed. He added the uppercut. He missed again. He tried his 2-punch-and-body blow. While it touched Arasaki, he blocked it.

Yuuto tried his Sabakiuchi-style headbutt. That shot hit Arasaki. Yuuto did his hammer hook combo with the tail end of it, hitting Arasaki.

Arasaki kept dodging. Yuuto tried every punch and kick, only to catch air. Yuuto reacted quickly when Arasaki zipped forward with the knife pointing at Yuuto's chest. He dodged a harsh stab. Yuuto dodged a thrust from Arasaki.

Arasaki did four thrusts with the last one, hitting Yuuto, knocking him down. Yuuto quickly got up before Arasaki could jump-stab him.

Arasaki kept dodging at insane speeds. "Man!" Yuuto thought, "This guy is too fast! I have to somehow trap him in the corner!"

Yuuto tried to charge up for a True Lotus Palm strike he learned from a book that someone gave Ruko. He thrusted the palm, only to miss.

Yuuto tried Sabakiuchi-style strikes to counter Arasaki's dodging. At the fourth one, it hit Arasaki and Yuuto followed the attack up with his 3-punch-2-kick-and-spin-kick combo. That knocked Arasaki down as he hit a wall. "Son of a bitch..." Arasaki said as he got up

"All right, Ruko." Yuuto said to himself, "Thanks for teaching me that."

Yuuto got too close to Arasaki and was hit with three knife thrusts and was almost knocked down by a fourth, but Yuuto regained his footing.

Yuuto did a Sabakiuchi-style jab on Arasaki and followed it up with the 5-hit-spin-kick strike. Arasaki quickly regained his footing after being flown by the second kick.

Arasaki kept on dodging. "Well, I found a weakness to your speed!" Yuuto cried,

"Oh yeah?" Arasaki retorted, "I dare you!"

"Oh. I will." Yuuto retorts back, and made a motion on his hand. "Come at me!"

Arasaki got angry and swayed at Yuuto. He swayed back quickly when Yuuto was about to jab him. Yuuto then surprised Arasaki with a Sabakiuchi-style jab. Yuuto couldn't follow it up as Arasaki recovered quickly.

Arasaki kept dodging, forcing Yuuto to miss the 2-punch-and-body shot, but he didn't see the knee from Yuuto, and took the hit, forcing him to drop. Yuuto then stepped on Arasaki.

"Ugh..." Arasaki cried as he got up "Stupid school chinpira! I'll make you pay for this!"

But, Yuuto gave him two punches. Arasaki blocked the rest, but the hammer hook shot. Yuuto did another Sabakiuchi-style shot on Arasaki and successfully followed it up with the 5-hit-spin-kick strike. Arasaki flew, but managed to regain his footing on the fourth hit.

Yuuto felt a pylon as he ran around. "Afraid, Arasaki?" Yuuto taunted. He had an idea.

"No!" Arasaki cried back as he kept dodging.

Yuuto picked up a pylon. He tried a long strike, only to miss. Then, Yuuto caught Arasaki when he wasn't looking, grabbed his shirt and smashed him in the gut with the pylon. Yuuto then proceeded to spank Arasaki with the pylon seven times in the head. Yuuto then lets go of Arasaki and gave him one more spank in the head, dropping him. Yuuto smashed the pylon on Arasaki for insurance, which caused it to break.

Arasaki got up. Yuuto kept hitting Arasaki with punches and Sabakiuchi-style strikes. After catching Arasaki with his 5-hit combo, Yuuto took a slight slash from the knife, but managed to evade three thrusts.

"Damn!" Arasaki thought as he took shot after shot, "He's smart! I've got to move faster!"

Yuuto caught Arasaki with a Sabakiuchi-style headbutt. Arasaki then kneeled down. Then, Yuuto felt the heavenly pink energy with the feathers coming back. But, he felt something else. "Huh?" Yuuto thought as he felt something heavy.

Then, he saw it. "Wings?" Yuuto thought, "Angel wings? I'm... I'm feeling... the power!"

He got into a horse stance. As he did, the pink wings covered his upper body. He screamed as he focused his energy. Then, as he rose up, the angel wings spread out.

Yuuto ran to Arasaki, grabbed his midsection and performed a suplex on him. While still holding Arasaki's body, Yuuto rotated it to the left, grabbed Arasaki's right arm with his arms and legs and... SNAP! Yuuto then grabbed Arasaki's head with his legs and... SNAP! Yuuto then twirled Arasaki down, grabbed his right hand, pulled him towards his own body, grabbed his head, twirled around and... SNAP! Yuuto flipped upwards, still gripping Arasaki's head and... SNAP! Yuuto then let go of Arasaki's head and... POW! Yuuto punched him in the face for the finish. His pink wings faded away into the sky.

Arasaki got up, but slowly. "Ugh..." he said

"How are you involved with the kidnapping of Haruka Nogizaka?" Yuuto cries

Arasaki caught his breath and said, "I ensured our operation ran smoothly from the inside. Turns out that it made the Nogizakas whimper and worry. We thought our plan would carry out quite nicely, but you had to stick your nose in! But then again, we didn't know that you were close friends with the Nogizaka daughter."

"What the hell are you getting at?" Yuuto cried,

"You want more answers? Then, you should see my boss." Arasaki said then turns around, "But, you're never gonna see him. Haruka will die at our hands!" He then ran

"Hey, wait!" Yuuto cried and ran after Arasaki

Yuuto, after five minutes, grew tired. "Damn! I lost him!" He thought, "I have to call Ibuki."

Then, he got his cell phone and called Ibuki. "Ibuki. I have bad news." Yuuto said on the phone, "Arasaki got away."

"What?" Ibuki cried on the other line, "What happened?"

"He ran off crying out that he won't let me see his boss." Yuuto said,

"The leader, huh?" Ibuki said, "OK. Come back to Kamuro Castle immediately."

"OK." Yuuto said and hung up.

A few minutes later, back at Kamuro Castle, Yuuto talked to both Ibuki and Shiina regarding his encounter with Arasaki. "He said that I should meet his boss to find out what really happened and what are the Hitmen's real motivations behind the kidnapping." Yuuto said, "Thing is... I'm not sure where I can find him." He then lowers his head.

"Don't worry, Yuuto-san." Ibuki said, "We'll do everything in our power to assist you. It's still a little bit over an hour left before the deadline, so... hopefully, we should hear something by then."

"Yeah." Yuuto said, "You might be right." Then, he said, "I just hope that Haruka will be OK..."


	12. The Angelic Dragon

Chapter 12: The Angelic Dragon

Yuuto looked high in the sky outside Kamuro Castle. He had come a long way from a unknown boy from the Hakujou Private Academy to a well-known boy around Kamurocho and Ryukyugai. He then thought about all the memories that he had with Haruka.

He remembered the first day that he met her... he found out that she was an anime and manga addict. At the time, she was afraid that Yuuto would spill the beans, but he assured her that it will be a secret between them, and that made Haruka very happy. Yuuto remembered the time he went to Akihabara with Haruka. The two of them had a very good time, despite Haruka missing out on a purchase, but their time together was absolutely memorable. Yuuto remembered feeling a bit of infidelity when he was on top of Shiina and Haruka found out, but it was his mistake and he vowed never to leave her again. But, the one memory that he truly had, was when he was a young little boy and he gave Haruka the first ever issue of "Innocent Smile".

He smiled for a bit and looked over the copy of the issue he bought at Poppo Mart on his first day in Kamurocho.

He then put it away and put on his determined face. But, before he went back to Kamuro Castle, Yuuto decided to run off to Works Kamiyama to check on Renji.

Yuuto walked inside the shop and bowed. "Good evening, Kamiyama-san." Yuuto said, "Did you see the videos?"

"Oh, y-yes!" Renji said, "There was so much that I watched that... it really inspired me to work on a few more weapons!"

He then broke down what he can make, based on the two movies. From the "All-Japan Taiko Tour" movie, Renji can make Oni Drumsticks, Nail Drumsticks and Double Shafts. From the "Dragon – Explosive Touch" movie, Renji can make Twin Dragon Drumsticks and Premium Double Shafts.

Then, Yuuto asked, "Can you make me Double Shafts?"

"S-Sure!" Renji said, "I-I need the Double Sticks, a B-Brass Lump a-and a Rainbow Alloy... Oh! And ¥5,000."

"OK." Yuuto said. He paid the money and gave the items to Renji. He then watched Renji create the weapon. Renji melted the Brass Lump and the Rainbow Alloy for a good twenty minutes and then applied the melted metal on the Double Sticks. Then, after a good ten minutes, Renji said, "All done! H-Here are the Double Shafts."

Yuuto took the finished product. The sticks look more durable and have a fine bronze coating. But, Yuuto thought, "Maybe it can be made better."

"Can you make me the Premium Double Shafts, Kamiyama-san?" Yuuto asked,

"S-Sure!" Renji said and was handed back the Double Shafts. "I-I would a-also like t-the Ancient Black Sand Steel a-and another Rainbow Alloy... Oh! And ¥20,000."

"OK." Yuuto said. He paid the money and gave the items to Renji. And like the Double Shafts, he watched Renji make them for another fifteen minutes. Then, Renji said, "All done! H-Here are the Premium Double Shafts."

Yuuto took the finished products. The sticks look much more durable and have a gold coating, which makes this weapon pretty pleasing to the eye. "Thank you so much, Kamiyama-san!" Yuuto cried,

"Y-You're welcome, Yuuto-san!" Renji cried back

Yuuto waved goodbye as he left.

Yuuto ran south back to Kamuro Castle, but at the intersection of Pink Street and the Nakamichi Alley leading to Senryo Avenue, he was stopped by a street punk. "I want to go to a hostess club." He said, "But the thing is, I'm a little short on funds. You got a few bucks?"

"Sorry, but I don't." Yuuto said, bluntly

"No?" The punk cried out, "You must be looking to get hurt!"

Yuuto then put on his Ogre Knuckles and punched out the street punk. Another one came by and circled around Yuuto. Yuuto saw that he was carrying a sign to the strip club, Asia. The punk took a vertical swing of the sign, but… POW! Yuuto kicked him in the gut, which caused the punk to let go of the sign. Yuuto jumped up, grabbed the sign in mid-air and… POW! He delivered a harsh shot on the head, which took down the punk.

"Ow, ow! OK! OK! You win!" The first punk cried, "Please, take this and leave me alone." Yuuto was given a bottle of sake.

He then raced back to Kamuro Castle.

Yuuto went inside Kamuro Castle. Ibuki saw him and cried, "Yuuto-san! Arasaki called us just minutes ago!"

"Oh?" Yuuto said, "What happened?"

"Well…" Ibuki said,

A few minutes earlier, Ibuki received a call. "This is Ibuki speaking." He said

"Is this the Straight Life Association? This is Arasaki." The person on the other line said, "My boss would like to see someone. He wants to see Yuuto Ayase alone. He'll be waiting on the roof at the Millennium Tower. You don't comply, we kill Haruka Nogizaka." Then, there was static.

"Hey!" Ibuki cried, "Hello? Hello?"

"I see…" Yuuto said, and he hung his head low.

Then, he rose up and said, "I know what I have to do. I'm going in alone."

"What?" Ibuki cried, starting to feel concerned "I know you have to save Haruka, but Arasaki might put you in a trap."

"I'm well aware." Yuuto replied, "But I have to do this. I came so far and I don't want my trip in Kamurocho and Ryukyugai be for nothing. I have seen a lot and have learned a lot. I feel that it is my destiny to save Haruka."

"And besides, if I don't go, I won't know who's really behind all this." Yuuto added

"I understand." Ibuki said

"Listen." Yuuto said and gave his cell to Ibuki. "Call the Nogizaka parents. Let them know that we'll both come home. Don't let them leave with the ransom money to Kamurocho."

"Understood." Ibuki said

"Ibuki." Yuuto said, "One last thing. Thank you very much for standing by me when times were rough." He then bows.

"You're welcome, Yuuto-san." Ibuki replied, "Just come back in one piece."

"I will." Yuuto said, and then he turned to Shiina. "Shiina. Thank you for being there when I felt down and out. I might not make it back alive, but… I will give it my all to save Haruka."

Shiina looked down in sadness. She knows that he truly loves Haruka, and he will truly give his own life to save her. Then she said softly, "Come back to us alive."

"I will try." Yuuto said and he hugged and kissed her in the lips. "This kiss may not mean much, but I'll be thinking of you and Haruka."

"OK." Shiina said, "Go on then."

Yuuto left Kamuro Castle. She smiled back at Yuuto as he left.

Yuuto walked slowly north on Nakamich Street with his hands in his pockets. He was looking up at the sky, knowing that his destiny awaits him.

"Ibuki." Shiina said back at Kamuro Castle, "What do you think about Yuuto?"

"All I can say that he has a strong heart, a strong mind and a strong body." Ibuki answers, "But each day, he grows stronger with everything he sees, he does and the love he has for Haruka Nogizaka is unlike anything I have seen. That must be the main reason he's done all this on his own."

"I've noticed men during our fights bowing to Yuuto." Shiina said, "You think he has become something that he doesn't know he is?"

"Yuuto is a wonderful person." Ibuki said, "All the traits he has matches up with those of the legendary gangster known as the "Dragon of Dojima", Kazuma Kiryu. I think Yuuto may become another legendary gangster, but one with strength feared by men, a heart of pure gold and a clear mind like the sky. He might become… a dragon."

"A dragon?" Shiina asked, "Like the one in the tattoo Yuuto has?"

"I didn't know Yuuto had one." Ibuki said, "Where may I ask?"

"It's on his back." Shiina answers, "It had a dragon with a cross behind it and Haruka in front of it, with angel wings. It was done by Utabori."

"Utabori, huh? He made a dragon on Kiryu's back a long time ago." Ibuki said, "But, indeed. Yuuto truly believes in himself. If he can keep that belief, he and Haruka might make it out alive.

Yuuto arrived on the roof at the Millennium Tower as instructed. He stood near the gate looking over Tokyo. He then thought, "Haruka… If you're listening… I want you to know that… I've learned a whole lot and see a lot while in Kamurocho and Ryukyugai. I have made people very happy… I have treated others with great respect… I have beaten tons of men to get to where I am… I even remember all the times we both had."

Yuuto continued to think, "When I first met you, I thought you were never the one for anyone. That is… until I found out you were into anime and manga. But I have accepted you of who you are and we began to hang out a lot. I know I'm not a truly rich person and cannot be your girlfriend. But, this trip in Kamurocho and Ryukyugai made me have second thoughts about you. I realized that we have some sort of compatibility with each other. We both enjoy the same things and I'm starting to be a rich person."

"The one wish I ask for is this: Please accept me for who I am and what I've become… a legendary gangster… The Angelic Dragon."

Yuuto then ripped off his shirt. On his back is Utabori's completed tattoo. It is a dragon roaring upwards with a Christian cross behind it. In front of the dragon is Haruka Nogizaka in what appears to be a wedding dress, smiling happily. On her golden locks are yellow roses. On Haruka's back are angel wings.

Yuuto shut his eyes for a while. He knows the weight of both of their lives are on top of him and on his shoulders. He has taken his journey to heart and even thought Haruka was not around with him, he knows that she is watching him grow in spirit. The thought of Haruka still alive as kept his spirits alive and as such, he knows that there's more to living than being alive.

It was now that Yuuto realized that he and Haruka are a match made in heaven. He didn't make the rescue mission just to save her and return her to the Nogizakas. He truly loves her and is now willing to sacrifice his body, soul and mind to save her. Yuuto has grown to be a man, no longer afraid of his own death. Yuuto has grown strong in heart, mind and body.

Yuuto Ayase is a legendary gangster… 'The Angelic Dragon'.

He opened his eyes and noticed Arasaki on the corner of the helipad. He walks on over. "Hmph." Arasaki said when he heard Yuuto's footsteps

"OK, Arasaki." Yuuto said, "Where is Haruka? And where is your boss?"

"Huh." Arasaki said, "They'll be here momentarily."

Then he walked forward a little bit. "After I aimed at the top of the Hitman ranks, I struggled to stop being a hitman and lead a normal life. I've swiftly killed targets with my knife that eventually I went and killed ordinary people, not just yakuza. Is it an easy thing to let go? No."

"Of course, I met my boss. He told me that I gotta have revenge on the yakuza and that would make me feel better."

"So… why do you want revenge on the yakuza?" Yuuto asked

"Hmph." Arasaki said, "I was against it at first, seeing as unlike most of our group, the yakuza haven't destroyed my life. But my boss added fuel for the fire when a certain someone cut me off from showing up to perform at Haruka's birthday party."

Yuuto began to think. "I know who. It's not the mother, Akiho and it's definitely not the Nogizaka maids, Hazuki Sakurazaka nor Nanami Nanashiro." Arasaki pointed out

Then, Yuuto figured it out. "Gentou." He said, "You're after Gentou?"

"Hmph." Arasaki said, "Thanks to him, I lost everything. I lost my chance to get even further on life! You don't understand how hard I worked to be part of the Nogizaka clan for one day."

"I know how it feels." Yuuto said, "It's painful, I know… I felt the same way when a guy insulted me and my little gift at Haruka's birthday party. But, all one can do is lift his head high and move on. Another opportunity will surely present itself. You just have to take advantage of it!"

"Shut up!" Arasaki cried, angrily, "Shut up!"

"Gentou Nogizaka ruined my life! And that made me miserable for months on end! And to lose to you half an hour ago, it truly damaged my pride!" He yells and takes out his knife, "You know what? I won't let you meet my boss, nor will you save your precious girlfriend! I'm gonna kill you instead!"

Yuuto got into his fighting stance… and bashed Arasaki with a Sabakiuchi-style headbutt. Yuuto did a jab and tried his hammer hook combo. Arasaki blocked the middle punches, but took a scratch from the hammer hook.

Arasaki dodged in a quick manner. Yuuto caught him with a Sabakiuchi-style kick. Yuuto tried his jab-underhook-and-uppercut. While the first two punches caught air, Arasaki was caught off-guard by the uppercut was dropped. Yuuto quickly stepped on him.

"Grr…" Arasaki growled as he got up, "Still have your old bag of tricks, huh?"

Arasaki poked Yuuto with the knife, but continued his thrusts only to miss. Yuuto kept using the Sabakiuchi-style techniques and hit Arasaki whenever he could. At one point, Yuuto was behind Arasaki and smashed him with the hammer hook combo strike… and a quick stomp when Arasaki was down.

Arasaki got up. Yuuto cried out, "Come at me! I'm not afraid anymore!"

"You should be!" Arasaki yells and hits Yuuto with a couple of thrusts.

Yuuto continues to use the hammer hook combo strike. At one point, Arasaki attempted a thrust, but is reversed by Yuuto's Ukenageshi. Yuuto smashed Arasaki with his hammer hook combo strike. Arasaki struck back with three thrusts. Arasaki tried a poke, only to miss and continue his stabs, only for one to be reversed by the Ukenageshi.

Yuuto punched down Arasaki with two punches. Arasaki got up. Yuuto tried grabbing Arasaki… only to for Arasaki to push him away. "I'm too big for you, kid!" Arasaki cries

Yuuto stopped an attack from Arasaki with a quick kick. Arasaki kept zipping around. Yuuto managed to catch him twice with a Sabakiuchi-style strike.

Yuuto kept hitting Arasaki with the Sabakiuchi-style strike, but cannot manage to damage him any further with punches alone. "I tried attacking Arasaki from behind before." Yuuto thought, "Maybe I can give it another try…"

When Arasaki did a rushing thrust, he missed Yuuto. Yuuto bashed Arasaki with the hammer hook combo, dropping him down. Yuuto then stepped on his face, jumped on it and did an elbow drop on it!

Arasaki got up. Yuuto trapped him to a gate wall and kept hammering Arasaki with Sabakiuchi-style punches. Then, as soon as Arasaki thrusted… POW! Yuuto reversed it with a Toraotoshi, but Arasaki rose to his feet. But it was only to take another punch and slouch down.

Yuuto felt the pink heavenly energy coming back and soon he felt the wings on his back. They closed on him as he got into a horse stance. He screamed. Then, as soon as he rose up, the wings opened.

Yuuto rushed to Arasaki and smashed his face with a knee. Arasaki staggered back a bit. Yuuto walked up, gripped Arasaki's shoulder and… POW! Arasaki got a huge headache, thanks to Yuuto's headbutt. His wings then faded away.

Arasaki got up. Yuuto quickly pulled out a bottle of sake and a Tauriner he got during random fights. He thought, "Time to see what they do."

He drank both drinks. He became stronger… and more drunk. He swayed towards Arasaki and smacked him with a Sabakiuchi-style jab. Yuuto then finished him with his hammer hook combo and a quick stomp.

"Gah…" Arasaki cried, "I can't believe I lost again!" He slowly got up.

"Arasaki-san." Yuuto said, "You have to listen to me! Gentou is usually a cautious man. If he knows or believes something is wrong, he'll act quickly! I don't think it is right to go on a personal vendetta against him! He is not a yakuza! He cares more about his two daughters than anything else!"

"Gah…" Arasaki said weakly

Just then, both men heard the most chilling words they have ever heard, with Yuuto feeling a bigger effect that Arasaki.

"What the fuck are you waiting for, you dumb shit?"

What they both saw is a man with a flat-top haircut and wearing sunglasses, black pants, black shoes, a black shirt and a long red trench coat. He is wielding a pair of pistols. "Boss!" Arasaki cries

"So you are the young boyfriend named Yuuto Ayase?" the trench coat man asked,

"Who are you?" Yuuto asked

"I'm Kazuto Arase." The man answers, "I am the leader of the Hitmen."

Yuuto then gasped. "The leader? That's him? He led the Nogizaka raid?" He thought

"I've had you under Arasaki's watch for sometime." Arase said, "You do fit the bill of a legendary gangster, much like the 'Dragon of Dojima', Kazuma Kiryu."

"You know what?" Arase continued, "You are just in time. I have a surprise for you." And he shot his pistol on a flagpole. It slowly rose up… to reveal a familiar long-haired brown-eyed girl, hands tied to a rope. "Yuuto-san!" she cried

"Haruka!" Yuuto cried and tried to run towards her, but… BANG! Yuuto grunted in pain on his chest. He felt the pain on the left side… He was shot. His hands were bleeding in red.

"Not so fast, Ayase." Arase said and twirled his pistol. "Let me explain how I planned it out. A fair amount of men I've gathered hated Gentou Nogizaka for reasons which you've already know. We snuck in under the maids' 'cracked' security and kidnapped Ms. Nogizaka here." He pointed his pistol towards Haruka, who got scared.

"We were the ones who asked for the ransom. But chances are we're going to kill your girlfriend anyway." Arase continued, "It is rather funny. Ms. Nogizaka was always socially inept, but I didn't realize she had one person whom she truly cares about…"

He takes out a photo of Yuuto. "…You."

"Me?" Yuuto cried, "Why?"

"I failed to realize that you two are close to each other." Arase taunted, "Don't you believe that you two truly… love each other?"

Yuuto looked at Haruka. Haruka looked back at Yuuto. "H-Haruka…" Yuuto cried, "I-I wanted to tell you so badly. B-But, I didn't believe that we c-could be together! I'm not even r-rich enough!"

Haruka cried back, "I-It's OK, Yuuto. Even when I was c-captured, I-I've always thought of o-one person w-who could come and s-save me. H-He would be kind-hearted, strong and… have a clear h-head." She smiled at Yuuto.

"T-Truth is…" Haruka continued, "I-I never realized our feelings for each other, u-until just now! I-I love you, Yuuto Ayase!"

Then… BANG! "Yuuto!" Haruka cried. Yuuto fell on his back and lay down… in a lifeless state.

"Yuuto Ayase," Arase began, "You have been a wrench in my operation long enough. Now, watch as I kill your little insignificant girlfriend."

"Y-You're wrong, Arase-san." Someone cried weakly. It came from Yuuto. He got up, slowly… gripping his blood-ridden shoulder.

"Yuuto!" Haruka cried

He faced Arase. "Haruka Nogizaka is NOT an insignificant person!" He cried, "She is an amazing person! We spent a lot of time together, doing stuff together and understanding each other. We both have our ups and downs… But I love her for who she is! I didn't go on this rescue mission just to save Haruka! I went because I believe she's the one for me! And I will sacrifice my body, mind and heart to defend hers!"

Arase then twirled his pistols and cocked them. "You ignorant fool! Fine. I will kill you and your girlfriend."

"I'm not afraid anymore…" Yuuto said, then yelled, "Don't you go easy on me!"

"Fine…" Arase said calmly, and then yells, "DIE!" He and Arasaki ran towards Yuuto. Yuuto ran towards to the two of them. Arasaki thrusted his knife right at Yuuto. Yuuto punched his hand and Arase pointed a pistol on Yuuto's hand.

All three men broke apart and got into their fighting stances. Arase's stance was his pistols raised up. He spun around and fired. He missed Yuuto as he dodged. Arasaki tried to strike, but he was countered by an Ukenageshi. Yuuto focused his energy on his leg, jumped up and… POW! He smashed Arasaki in the head with his right foot.

Arasaki growled as he got up. Yuuto quickly took out his Red Lion Dagger he bought back in Okinawa… and stabbed Arase in the chest!

Yuuto quickly put it away and took out the Twin Hangers nunchaku Renta Kamiyama made back in Okinawa. Yuuto took a small chop from Arase's rising kick as he kicked up.

Arase ran and Arasaki thrusted his knife at Yuuto, but Yuuto blocked the thrusts with the Twin Hangers nunchaku. Yuuto saw Arase, jumped and bashed him on the head with the nunchaku. Yuuto then harshly stomped on Arase's face!

"You're good…" Arase said as he got up, "But I'm better!" He then aimed his guns at Yuuto and fired rapid shots, but missed as Yuuto was behind and hit Arase with short whacks on the head with the nunchaku.

"Time to fight fire with fire." Yuuto thought, and hit Arase with five vertical whacks and two horizontal whacks. Arase reeled to the side. Yuuto got behind him, strangles him for a few seconds… and twirls him up, which made Arase fall.

"You're pretty strong…" Arase commented as he got up. Arasaki thrusted his knife three times. He caught air twice, but hit Yuuto's nunchaku on the third thrust.

Arase did his rapid fire shots again, only to miss as Yuuto was behind him. Yuuto then continued to whack both Arase and Arasaki.

As Haruka watched on, she thought, "Where did Yuuto get this strength from? I have never fought like he does."

Arase then fired straight with his right pistol. It hit Yuuto, but it grazed his pants. Then, Arase did rotating shots before crouching and firing side-by-side. Then, he fired straight. With the exception of that one shot, Yuuto evaded the rest.

Yuuto then pounded Arase with short whacks from his nunchaku before spinning it around his body. Yuuto saw that his nunchaku broke. "Time to change weapons." He thought

Yuuto quickly took out a weapon that Renji Kamiyama made: the golden kali sticks known as Premium Double Shafts. Yuuto then gracefully whacked Arase's midsection eighteen times before whacking Arase's head with a harsh jumping whack.

Yuuto put away his kali sticks. Arase got up and cried, "W-What are you?"

Yuuto didn't see Arasaki and took a slash in the chest. Arase rapidly fired on Yuuto. Yuuto dodged all the shots and ran towards Arase.

Arase kicked Yuuto four times. Yuuto took the first two kicks, blocked the third kick and reversed the last kick with a Hajikigaeshi.

Arasak tried a jump stab, which missed Yuuto. "Yuuto! Watch out!" Haruka cried

Arase used his rapid-fire technique on Yuuto and Yuuto couldn't do anything. He was hit, but it grazed his skin, his pants and his hair! Yuuto was tripped up by the last shot, but quickly got to his feet.

"I've evaded his gun shots before!" Yuuto thought, "What happened?"

Yuuto managed to reverse Arasaki's thrust with the Ukenageshi. Yuuto then smacked Arasaki with his 3-punch-and-hammer-hook, but before he did the hammer hook, Arase rolled to the side and shot Yuuto in the blood-ridden part of his chest.

Yuuto screams in pain. He looked at the dangling Haruka. "I can't give up!" He thought, "I can do this!"

He took out the Premium Double Shafts. Yuuto tossed the stick on his left hand. It was shoved in Arase's mouth! Yuuto ran up, jumped on the kali stick, over Arase and slashed his body! Yuuto pushed Arase down and took the kali stick out.

Yuuto put away the kali sticks. Yuuto jabbed but he missed. However, Yuuto managed to hit Arasaki and Arase with the underhook punch. Both men quickly rose to their feet. Arasaki tried to thrust, only to be reversed by the Ukenageshi.

"Yuuto!" Haruka cried as Arase was about to shoot him

Yuuto saw the oncoming attack and took down Arase with three punches and an uppercut. Then, Yuuto stomped on Arase's face, jumped on it and did an elbow-drop on it!

Arase got up, spun and fired his left pistol, but he missed Yuuto. Yuuto hit Arase with his uppercut combo which dropped him and reversed Arasaki's strike with an Ukenageshi. Yuuto gave Arasaki three punches, one of which was a Sabakiuchi-style strike. While Arase was down, he shot Yuuto in the blood-ridden part of his chest.

Yuuto screams in pain as Arase kicked himself up off the floor. Yuuto growled and chased Arase as he ran. Arase did his four kicks. The first one missed, he hit Yuuto on the second kick, but Yuuto blocked the last two.

Arase did a backflip as Yuuto took out the Premium Double Shafts. Yuuto whacked Arase twice in his midsection and once in the head before keeling over. He whacked Arase on the head again. And Yuuto smashed Arase's midsection, sending him flying.

"I see…" Arase cried as he got up. Arasaki attacked Yuuto from behind but Yuuto blocked his strikes using the kali sticks as shields.

Yuuto then spun his kali sticks, ensuring Arasaki doesn't get close. Arase managed to dodge away from the attack. Yuuto put away his kali sticks.

Haruka continued to watch on. She thought, "Is he doing all this for me?"

Yuuto just reversed Arasaki's strike with an Ukenageshi. He grabbed Arase, slammed and bashed his head on a gate and when Arase dropped face-up, Yuuto stepped on his face!

"Guh…" Arase cried as he got up

"Yuuto's becoming strong!" Haruka thought as she continued to watch on. "I don't know, but… he's more determined than ever!"

Yuuto just reversed Arasaki's strike with a Toraotoshi. He tried to grab Arase from behind, but Arase pushed himself away. "Not this time, asshole!" Arase cried and tried to fire, but Yuuto grabbed his right arm, slapped his face, pulled his arm forward and smashed Arase with a palm.

Yuuto took down Arasaki after an Ukenageshi reversal with three punches and an uppercut. Then, Yuuto stomped on him. Yuuto saw that Arase is about to shoot him, so he grabbed him… and he slammed and bashed his face on the gate.

"You punk…" Arase cried as he got up. Yuuto reversed Arasaki's strike with an Ukenageshi and took him down with three strikes, one of which is a Sabakiuchi-style headbutt.

But, then Yuuto screamed in pain. He was shot again in the chest. Yuuto quickly evaded, but he began to wince a little bit. "Haruka's coming home with me!" Yuuto taunts

"No!" Arase yells, "You lovebirds are going home in a body bag!"

Haruka began to get concerned. "Yuuto's hurt." She thought, "I'm scared! I don't want him and me to die! I don't know how long he'll stay alive!"

Yuuto continued to wince at his chest as he was shot again by Arase. Thankfully, he reversed Arasaki's strike with an Ukenageshi. He tried to grab Arase, only to be pushed away. "Get off me!" Arase yelled and slowly lowered his arms and fired his pistols rapidly.

Yuuto evaded the shots and crouched to focus. Arasaki did three thrusts, but Yuuto blocked everything. "Huh?" Haruka thought as she witnessed her potential boyfriend not taking a scratching hit. "How did he not get hurt from that?"

Yuuto then grabbed Arase into a headlock. Arasaki ran to Yuuto, but… POW! Arase and Arasaki banged heads on each other! Yuuto then let go of Arase as both men fell. "Get out!" Yuuto yells

Both men got up. Yuuto reversed a thrust from Arasaki with an Ukenageshi. Arase did his rotating shots technique again with Yuuto taking a bullet in the shoulder. Yuuto screamed in pain, but he growled fiercely. "I'm not backing down!" Yuuto yelled after reversing Arasaki's thrust with the Ukenageshi.

Yuuto then chased Arase, rolled forward, bashed his stomach with a headbutt and finished the attack with a harsh spin kick to the head!

Arase got up. "You persistent… little… fuck!" he cried

"Come on, Yuuto-san!" Haruka thought, "You can beat them!"

Then… SLASH! Yuuto screamed in pain as Arasaki bashed his knife through his blood-ridden chest… and he lay down slowly. His mind began to go blank.

"Yuuto!" Haruka screamed, "Please get up! Get up, Yuuto!" But, he couldn't hear her. His mind began to wander around in many places.

"Hmph." Arase said, "You're pathetic, Yuuto Ayase. You're supposed to be 'The Angelic Dragon'? All I see is a worthless young boy who is unpopular at the Hakujou Private Academy. You were never worthy for Haruka's hand. You've been afraid to give in to your feelings for her. Your tattoo changes nothing about you."

"Now…" Arase then turns to Haruka.

She shudders as she knows that she may be in a fate that is much like Yuuto's… only worse: death. "Your 'girlfriend' is very good-looking. It'd be a shame to kill her with my guns. But, you and your parents did not heed our warnings. Now, you both will face the consequences."

He aimed his pistols at Haruka's bosoms. "Die, Haruka Nogizaka." Arase said in the most chilling tone that she ever heard.

Yuuto, in a lifeless state, watched on as Arase aimed his guns at Haruka. Then, he heard… "Yuuto! Don't you ever give up, my son!"

He found himself in a light-coloured realm. He also found himself with no bullet wounds or slashes to his body. He still retained the "Angelic Dragon" tattoo Utabori gave him. He looked around and thought, "Who said that?"

Then, two figures slowly approached Yuuto. They are a man and a woman, both as young as Ruko, but properly dressed and groomed. "M-Mom? D-Dad?" Yuuto began to speak

"I know we haven't been good parents to you." Yuuto's father said, "Being away from you and Ruko all the time because we are working. But, in spirit, we've been watching you grow."

"To gain so much strength in your heart, your body and mind." Yuuto mother's continued, "To do all this to rescue Haruka Nogizaka… That was a self-less thing to do. We are so proud of you! We couldn't ask for a much better son than you!"

"You have become so strong, Yuuto." Yuuto's father said, "Whatever your path you choose, we'll always support you. Promise us you won't give in."

Yuuto was silent for a few seconds. He didn't know how to respond. It was true what Kazuto Arase said to him. He never declared his love for Haruka throughout his whole life. He always held his belief that he can't be Haruka's boyfriend if he isn't rich enough… But, now as his parents, even Haruka, pointed out, he needed to grow, but not just financially, but through his mind, body and heart.

He finally realized that money isn't everything. He then smiled. "OK." He said, "I'll never quit. I promise."

"Now, go!" Yuuto's parents cried, "Make us proud!"

Yuuto gasped and slowly got up. He found his newfound strength to fight again… and right before Arase pulled the trigger on his pistols, he heard, "Hey! Arase-san!"

"Huh?" Arase said. He found Yuuto up and recovered.

"I'm not through with you!" Yuuto yelled, "I promised to protect Haruka… and I will do just that! Because I never back down and I never quit!"

"You still don't get it, do you?" Arase said to Yuuto, "You're a weak fool. You have no chance to win Haruka's heart after I pierce a bullet in yours."

"I came all this way to become strong so that I will save Haruka." Yuuto said, proudly, despite being heavily wounded. "It's time I make things right. And I'll start with you!"

Then, he made a motion with his hand. "Come!"

Arase then turned to Arasaki. "Arasaki." He said,

"Boss?" Arasaki asked

There was silence for a few seconds. Then, Arase said, "Kill him."

Arasaki rushed to Yuuto with the sharp part of the knife pointed at the young Ayase. Haruka cried, "Yuuto! Watch out!"

Unfortunately, for Arasaki… he was reversed by Yuuto's Ukenageshi. Then, Yuuto jabbed Arasaki twice… to force him to slump down.

Yuuto felt the pink heavenly aura coming back. He got into his horse stance. The pink wings appeared on his back. They covered him as he focused. "This is my destiny." He thought, "I have grown strong. Arase and Arasaki must pay for what they've done. I have become… 'The Angelic Dragon'."

Yuuto rose up and his wings opened. He ran to Arasaki, grabbed his midsection and performed a suplex on him. While still holding Arasaki, he twirled his body to the left, grabbed Arasaki's right arm with his arms and legs and… SNAP! Yuuto then grabbed Arasaki's head with his legs and… SNAP! Yuuto then twirled Arasaki down, grabbed his right hand, pulled him towards his own body, and grabbed his head, twirled around and… SNAP! Yuuto flipped upwards, still gripping Arasaki's head and… SNAP! Yuuto then let go of Arasaki's head and… POW! Yuuto punched him in the face for the finish. "That's for Shiina!" Yuuto cries

"What?" Arase cried, "This is impossible! How did you get this strength?"

Then, he aimed his pistols at Yuuto and yelled, "Die!" He fired, only to have the bullets miss Yuuto as he dodged. Arase was hit by a Sabakiuchi-style jab and he slumped down. "That's for Haruka!" Yuuto cries

Yuuto then refocused his energy by getting into a horse stance. He rose up and the wings were still glowing. "And this is from me!" Yuuto yells

Yuuto grabbed Arase, tossed him up high, jumped and hit him with a drop kick. Arase flew down and hit Arasaki, just as he was getting up!

Arase got up, but staggered weakly to Yuuto. He then gripped Yuuto's glowing body. "You… You… win… huh?" he said and dropped to the floor.

The pink glow was bright enough to attract a lot of people. "What is that?" some began to exclaim, "It's beautiful! It's like a star shining on top of the Millennium Tower!"

Ibuki and Shiina looked up. "That must be it." Ibuki said, "The Angelic Dragon has awakened within him."

Ibuki then motioned to go in the Millennium Tower. Shiina followed Ibuki.

Meanwhile, at the roof of the Millennium Tower, the glow began to fade away from Yuuto's sweaty body. He was panting and looking at the downed bodies of Arase and Arasaki. He knew that he had finally defeated Haruka's kidnappers and saved the first Nogizaka daughter.

He breathed a sigh of relief. Then, he looked at Haruka and smiled, "You did it, Yuuto-san!" Haruka cried,

Yuuto began to walk to where Haruka is tied up, but he suddenly collapsed! "Yuuto-san!" Haruka cried

He fell down face-up. He began to look at the night sky. He began to speak. "Mom… Dad… I did it. I came to Kamurocho. I met a lot of people… I came to Ryukyugai. I met some friendly faces… I gained strength… in my mind… in my body… and in my heart. I defeated the Hitmen… and saved Haruka."

"Komaki-sensei… Yonashiro-sensei… thank you both for teaching me new techniques… Without them… I would never be a strong man… and I wouldn't learn new things… Minamida-san… thank you for showing me IF7. Without that… I wouldn't be able to learn new techniques… coming from the challengers… I faced. Kamiyama-san… the weapons you boys made… thank you… they were very useful in… combat. Utabori-san… thank you… not just for the dragon tattoo… but for the things you tell me that made me feel… stronger."

He coughed for a brief moment, and then he continued to speak. "Ruko… I hate to admit it… but thank you. Without you showing me to Komaki, Yonashiro and Kamiyama... I don't know what I would do... if someone… attacked me. Shiina… thank you for being there… to help me defeat the Hitmen… I also thank you for believing in me… that I would be able to… save Haruka."

Then, he turned his head slowly to face Haruka. "Haruka…" Yuuto began to speak, "Thank you… for believing in me. Even though you weren't there… in person… I feel much stronger when… I've thought about you… and I'm glad… you were with me… in my mind and… in spirit. I've come and… I've set out what I needed to do… and I did it… I've defeated Kazuto Arase… and saved you, Haruka Nogizaka… I'm too… hurt to move… S… Save yourself." He then shut his eyes.

"Yuuto!" Haruka screams and she cried in heavy tears. She had lost her true love, Yuuto Ayase, the Angelic Dragon. She had truly loved him, despite his reasons, but she couldn't take the fact that Yuuto is dead. "I…" Haruka began to whisper, "I won't leave you, Yuuto! I love you!"

Just then, Arase and Arasaki got up! Haruka gasped. Even though both men were heavily beaten, they could still get up! Haruka began to shudder in fear. "Hmph." Arase began, "Your boyfriend was nothing more than a thorn on my side." Then, he points his pistol at Haruka's bosom. "Time for me to pull the trigger and finish the fucking job!"

He unhooked the safety from his gun. Haruka shuddered in fear. Drips of sweat formed on her head. She wanted to be together with Yuuto, but being together in the afterlife was not her idea! Arase smiled as his ultimate goal is finally about to be complete…

That's when…

…he put his gun down. "Boss?" Arasaki said

Arase sighed. "I can't do this." He said

"What? Why?" Arasaki cried, "You were just one bullet away from killing her!"

"Arase!" someone cried. Ibuki and Shiina have arrived.

Shiina then gasped at Yuuto's somewhat bloodied body. "Yuuto!" she cried and ran to him, "Speak to me, Yuuto! Come on, Yuuto! Don't die on me!"

Arase looked at Ibuki. "Ibuki?" he said, surprised "How did you know me?"

"Truth is…" Ibuki said, "We've been looking for you. I didn't realize you were behind this mess. Either way, Kashiwagi was really worried about you. Ever since you were defeated by Kazuma Kiryu, Kashiwagi felt that you would never lead a normal life again. As a result, he started the Straight Life Association so we can find you and… help you."

"Hmph." Arase replies, "I won't do that. I lost everything I had."

"Please join us, Arase." Ibuki pleads, "We'll fix you up and turn you as good as new, trust me."

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Arase said, "I've lost everything. All the mistakes I made… There's nothing I can do to fix them anymore. And this recent mistake doesn't help." He pointed at Haruka.

"I kidnapped Haruka thinking her father would surrender to us and join our group. But, on the night I carried out our task, I walked into her room… and noticed a lot of anime and manga items all over her room. It made me have second thoughts, on whether or not I should kidnap her. After I did some contemplation plus some deliberation from my group members… I carried out our plan and took her from the Nogizaka home."

"I almost did not want to kidnap Haruka because she likes childish things like anime and manga. But, I did anyway to send a message to the Nogizakas. But, in came her 'boyfriend', Yuuto Ayase. I believed he was nothing more than a weak young boy. But, the way he fought me and defeated me… I saw in his eyes that he wants her to become his girlfriend. And I also saw in him… that he is grown up to be a strong young man. I came to realize that… Yuuto and Haruka are meant to be." Arase then sighs.

"Look." Ibuki said, "This changes nothing. And another thing… you were able to get all the Hitmen to rally under you, right? You have that ability there, Arase. Don't waste it. So, please… come to the Straight Life Association."

Arase gave it some thought. It's true what Ibuki said. Because of Arase's experience with the Tojo Clan's Nishiki Family, he has rallied men under his wing. Not to mention, that he has shown strong leadership skills in this respect. Maybe there is some hope in Arase's life after all…

Then, he said after a minute of contemplation, "I can't accept your offer, Ibuki. I don't believe your thoughts are wrong. I just believe they're foolish. I vow to leave you alone and never interfere with the Nogizakas ever again. Promise me you will leave me be in return."

Ibuki sighs, but he realizes that Arase needs some time alone to think about the path he is choosing. "OK…" Ibuki finally said, "I will. But… I do wish you well on the path you've chosen."

Arase then said, "On that note…" He points his gun at Haruka.

"Arase!" Ibuki cried, "What are you doing?"

Haruka shuddered in fear. Then… BANG!

The bullet broke the rope that tied Haruka and she screamed as she fell down. She quickly untied her ropes and climbed up to the main platform. She ran to Yuuto.

"Yuuto-san!" Haruka cried, "Yuuto! Get up! Please wake up!"

She then started to weep. "Yuuto-san…" Haruka spoke as she wept, "All those times we were together as friends… We never once fell in love with each other. I now realize… that it was a mistake… to let it go for so long… All that you have done… thank you! You saved me, Yuuto Ayase!"

She then whispered, "Yuuto… You were more than a friend to me. For that… I love you." She then kissed him in the lips.

Then… it happened.

Yuuto awakened and began coughing. He looked at Haruka and smiled. He said, "Hey."

"Yuuto!" Haruka cried and hugged him tightly. Yuuto cried out a bit in pain. Shiina and Ibuki smiled.

Haruka lifted Yuuto up slowly. He turned to Arase. "Yuuto Ayase…" Arase said, "I will admit. You have become strong. By you defeating me, you have shown me that you are a true legendary gangster… The one who's called 'The Angelic Dragon'. When we meet again, we will see who the stronger fighter is."

"I'll be ready, Arase-san." Yuuto replied, with a hint of confidence

Then, Arase turned to Arasaki. "Let's go, Arasaki."

"Yes, boss." Arasaki replied and they both left.

Yuuto looked on and thought, "I'll be looking forward to fighting you again… Kazuto Arase."

Back at Kamuro Castle, Yuuto sat with Ibuki on the front desk as Shiina told Haruka how her adventure went with Yuuto. "Would it be OK if you let Arase go like that?" Yuuto asked, "I can understand why, especially since I heard that he made some big mistakes in the past."

"Yes." Ibuki said,

"And where did this whole idea of trust come from?" Yuuto asks,

"You see, Yuuto-san…" Ibuki said, "The Straight Life Association is formed on the principle that we trust those who are willing to reform. In other words, we believe that if men can rebuild their lives, we trust that they maintain that principle."

"I see." Yuuto said,

Shiina and Haruka walked towards Yuuto and Ibuki. "I want to thank you all for helping us." Ibuki said, "It has been quite an adventure, I imagine… But, I'm glad we were able to restore the peace here at the Straight Life Association."

"Yuuto-san…" Ibuki continued, "I received a letter from the Tojo Clan Headquarters. I think this might interest you."

Yuuto received the letter from Ibuki and took a read of it.

"Dear Yuuto Ayase,

I've been informed by Ibuki of the Fuma Family that you were aiding the Straight Life Association. Your efforts in keeping the peace within the organization and saving Haruka Nogizaka in the process have been nothing short of grateful. This is a trait we've been keeping with the Tojo for quite a long time and I thank you for maintaining it.

As a result, I hereby grant you to start a yakuza family. Normally, a yakuza would work the ranks to become a family patriarch, but this mission that you took on is more than enough reason for me to let you skip the ranks. Now that the former Nishiki Family has been disassembled, you may select one of their former territories around Kamurocho. You are to attend a sharing ceremony next week to make it official.

Congratulations and I wish for a good relationship from your family.

Sincerely,

Daigo Dojima

6th Chairman of the Tojo Clan"

"A yakuza?" Yuuto thought, "I'll be the head of a yakuza family from the Tojo Clan?"

"Your dream…" Shiina said, excitedly, "It's come true! That's awesome!"

"We should celebrate!" Haruka cried out and the two girls hugged Yuuto very tightly.

Yuuto chuckles and then said, "Yeah…"

A few hours later, Haruka and Yuuto were alone in the middle of Tenkaichi Street. "That was fun, wasn't it?" Haruka asked,

"Oh yes." Yuuto said, "You are such a good singer, Haruka. I can't even sing a few bars myself."

"Thank you very much, Yuuto." Haruka replied

"Oh!" Yuuto said, "I almost forgot!" Then, he pulled something out of his blue suit. It was the "Innocent Smile" magazine he bought on the first day in Kamurocho and the Chura doll he won at a crane game at Club Sega on his second day.

Haruka gasps at the items he brought out. "Is this all… for me?" she asked

"Yes." Yuuto said, "I wanted to get you something when I rescued you. And… this is it."

Haruka cried happily and hugged Yuuto tightly! She then slowly kissed him on the lips.

"I'm glad that you were the one that saved me." Haruka said when she broke apart for a bit, "It shows that you truly cared about me."

Yuuto chuckles. "It's nothing. But… I'm glad I had someone in my mind to think about during my adventure… You."

Haruka giggles… and the two walked north along Tenkaichi Street. Yuuto looked at the sky and thought about his adventure. He has finally defeated his opponents and earned his place within the Tojo Clan. He also won a heart of the first Nogizaka daughter: Haruka. Now, he can make a difference around Kamurocho as the youngest patriarch of a yakuza family. And thus begins the legacy of "The Angelic Dragon".


End file.
